It all started when I was browsing the search engine for this New Zealand Herald article by Lincoln Tan (good on him for writing this) this morning and later, a New Zealand Statistics website where this research paper caught my attention. Then, it lead from one thing to another with this online article to Auckland.Scoop’s article dating from 25 May 2011 also raised a bit (in a small section of the article) about the issue of Asians being the most qualified but (sadly) the most underemployed group in New Zealand. Eventually, it began to dawn on when I started to recall of real-life accounts from fellow acquaintances and friends who have told me time and again of Asian migrants (be they doctors, lawyers, and other professionals) ending up as supermarket employees, bus drivers, taxi drivers or cleaners!
As a blogger, I am here to write on the behalf of all Asian migrants in New Zealand as well as to raise (but NOT to blow something out of proportions) the issue of underemployment among Asians in New Zealand because it is high time it has to be heard rather than swept under the rug and pretend nothing happened. There will be some of you who will agree or disagree with what I wrote but I am as mad and concerned as hell towards this issue. I know there will be some people out there who will say that Asians come to New Zealand to steal away jobs or taint New Zealand culture. Get real, people! We are and each and everyone of us are all migrants, like it or not. Without migrants how can a country survive or grow economically? Let us all face it, globalisation is happening at every waking hour for the past few decades.
Anyway before I end up steering off topic, about the issue of underemployment among Asian migrants (young and old alike), it is just sad when their hopes and dreams of starting anew and contributing to Godzone only to have it all shattered when the New Zealand job market is somewhat still shut to a lot of them. Therefore, it does not make any sense at all. Why should an Asian taxi driver with a medical qualification (let’s say neurology or cardiology) be out driving passengers to their destinations day and night when he is better off saving a life, doing medical research or treating a patient in a hospital somewhere in New Zealand? Or why should an East Asian cleaner with a degree in mathematics from an Asian university have to clean toilets or sweep floors in an Auckland CBD when he should be teaching mathematics or discovering a new mathematical formula at a New Zealand university or a school? Or how about this: why should someone with a law degree have to end up working in a lowly job when she is better off working in a law firm (private or public) or in a New Zealand court? Or how about that: why should an Asian graduate with an arts degree in languages and journalism ends up working as a supermarket employee instead of working in a television station or newspaper company somewhere in New Zealand? Here is something for us all to ponder: why should an Asian migrant with many years of working in research and development overseas and holds a postgraduate qualification ends up working a menial job, let’s say in a fast food joint, with little pay when he is better off doing research and development in a company of his choice/dream in New Zealand? Call me a whatever you like, but this all do not make any sense and those people in these scenarios I mentioned should be in the right jobs based on their qualifications and skills in New Zealand.
As a blogger, I have had enough of hearing or noticing subtle excuses like “not enough Kiwi experience” or “not good enough for that job” shut in their faces from one job interview to another. I may not be an employment expert but doesn’t overseas experience count the most when it comes to choosing the best worker for the right job regardless whether one is a New Zealander or a migrant (or regardless one’s ethnic origin)? To those with those lame excuses about “not enough Kiwi experience”, you just don’t want to blatantly tell it in their faces that you don’t want because they are non-Kiwis. Like it or not, you are denying your fellow Asian migrant counterparts their right to prove themselves to be worthy and good in what they are doing. Just because they are foreigners to you, they are as equally qualified and capable as you are yet you slam the job market door on their faces over and over again. Secondly, you make it look like as if meritoracy is dead in the New Zealand job market. As for those who accuse Asian migrants coming in to steal the jobs, well let’s face it, you are just ignorant to the fact that multiculturalism and diversity are here to stay in New Zealand. And I believe you are being xenophobic and you do not realised that. You can deny all you like but why don’t you have a look what do New York, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore, Toronto, Vancouver, Kuala Lumpur, Paris and London have in common? Those places are all built by the hands, blood, sweat and tears of migrants for the past one or two centuries which is why they are thriving well in this day and age.
Because of such people I mentioned, those poor Asian migrants are given the three choices 1.) work in a menial job in order to stay in New Zealand 2.) head to Australia across the Tasman or other countries to work and live 3.) pack their bags and return to their home lands when the whole Kiwi dream is shattered. Is this right to you? I don’t really think so and I believe something needs to be done in order to tackle this issue. Secondly, there should be more studies to be done to explore the issue of underemployment among qualified Asians in New Zealand. Last but not least, I want to say it out loud and clear, although not many people will hear me out, that Asian migrants are not stereotypically isolated and they have a right to be seen, heard and recognised in and by the New Zealand job market for their skills and qualities. New Zealand, they want to be welcomed and allowed to prove themselves rather than be turned away and be left in a lurch when they are calling New Zealand home and doing everything to fulfil the Kiwi dream.
What says you about the issue of underemployment among qualified and skills Asian migrants in New Zealand? What do you believe needs to be done to tackle this issue? Do you believe that New Zealanders (not all New Zealanders are all that discriminative, mind you. So don’t take my word out of context) need to accept the fact that multicultural, diversity and globalisation are something they cannot deny? Do you believe the New Zealand job market needs to adapt and do better in accepting Asian migrants with qualifications and skills that can truly meet the demand and contribute to New Zealand economy, locally and globally?
Me and SO had given up the Australia PR twice and eventually decided to stay in Asia as “first-class” citizens. The reason we gave up the second chance was we had the same dilemma faced as those professionals described in your post. It is best to continue living and working in AU (or anywhere) after graduation for career movement. Despite we are both in our 30s and 40s, my SO had been living and working in AU for 8 years in many years ago was told by AU recruitment consultant that he can only be temp staff or get a lower job because he had no recent working experience in AU. Anyway, we prefer warm weather and my SO even rejected a job to be posted in AU.
Most people I know have good migrant experience in AU (and also US, UK, SG). I know a couple, both NZ migrants and senior managers in their homeland, had to separate and stay apart because the husband couldn’t get a job in a year but his wife managed to become a clerk in a bank. So the husband returned to his homeland and the wife continued staying in NZ in order to secure the PR for their future. I hope they get what they want and be happy. For me, it is meaningless if living like princess but never will be happy.
Btw, love reading your post, interesting and so real. (“v)
Thank you for your input, beautyknot. I truly appreciate what you had to say.
I had no idea that it was an issue in New Zealand. Thank you for introducing the facts and subject on your blog. This must be a complicated and complex issue. I hope Asians in New Zealand will strive and fight for their rights for the younger generations. It has got to be extra tough right now especially due to the economy all over the world being not well right now. It might take a long time, but I am sure it will change. I hope so.
Thanks for your comment, Kaho. Yes, I hope Asians in New Zealand will rise up and do something about it. The change won’t be now but I hope it does happen for real.
I’m halfway through a book by Philippe Legrain on Immigration. Apparently, he also mentioned a similar situation happening to Canada, Australia etc in the late 20th century. Indians, Chinese, Vietnamese, South Americans (refugees, non-refugees, etc) or whoever a particular country think is inferior to theirs would be over qualified for the jobs they were offered. But, many migrants didn’t complaint because they take this as a form of scarifice to a better future for their children. Legrain also mentioned about migrants willing to work harder than citizens and they are more enterprising (having to ditch everything at home to a foreign land), and they are willing to be paid very little so long they can stay in their new country and enough to feed themselves. Which brings up a point that I’ve always wondered: are perseverance, willingness to workhard (low pay is a different topic altogether) and ability to engage with their new countries and their old regions something fearful for employers? I can only see improved efficiencies and penetration into bigger market with valuable international exposure. It’s a great loss of intellect and talent if a country/company adopt a mindset that eventually causes/caused Indian IT engineers to become cab drivers, Chinese investment bankers to become eateries owners, Mecxican doctors to become hotel housekeeper staff.
Apparently, pre-1997, HK citizens fearing the govt of China stripping of the freedom enjoyed in Hong Kong in replacement of Communism, fled the island. Many eventually came back…. for exactly the same reason mentioned by Beatuyknot. The experienced global bankers, accountants, engineers, logistics professionals etc (ie. much coveted professions) were reduced to become cooks, clerks, bank tellers, and super market cashiers. After surviving the minimum years of stay (to gain PR status), these professionals return to HK.
(I tend to get a bit emotional when it comes to talking about migration issue…I am a migrant’s descendant, and I also did a paper on this when I was in univ…. Apologies if I got too carried away…)
No don’t be sorry *hugs* I too am a descendant of a migrant just like you are and it does leave me concerned as much as you are
i wouldn’t exactly call this racism, but discrimination or comfort in similarity (because your english sounds the same as mine) phenomenon. Unfortunately racial profiling and discrimination happens everywhere. Take Hong Kong as an example, if you’re from Pakistan or India, even if you’re born in HK but don’t look Chinese, you’ll be racially profiled. I honestly believe that is a fact in life and it could not change–at this stage anyway. The first thing you see in a person is if he/she is the same/different than you, internally you have judged already. It’s human nature.
Thanks for your comment, Bonnie.
I am a white African who immigrated to NZ a few years ago. Both my husband and I are well qualified with good work experience and have had the same problem with getting work in NZ. We feel it is a real arrogance borne of ignorance of what really goes on in the rest of the world. I feel my overseas experience would be of great value in NZ.
Hello, Jenipha. Thank you for your comment.