the other culture, or neither of them). Research has shown that the majority of New
Zealanders (82%) endorse the integration strategy for migrants (Ward & Masgoret, 2008;
which differs from other countries like the United States and France, where assimilation, or
rather completely adopting the values of the new culture, is promoted). In a study conducted
with young migrants in New Zealand, it was found that those who maintained their ethnic
identity as well as adopted the new national identity had better school adjustment,
educational achievement and had high levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction (Ward &
Lin, 2005).
Qualitative research with members of the New Zealand Chinese Association (representing
multi-generation Kiwi Chinese for the most part) found that the typical identity strategy used
by this group was to not differentiate oneself strongly from other New Zealanders (Liu &
Moughan, 2010). Interviewees were not able to describe how Chinese leadership styles
differed from mainstream New Zealand leadership styles, and attachment to Kiwi Chinese
identity was more a matter of intuitive comfort level rather than clearly articulated or
definable qualities of difference. Virtually all people in this group saw their dual heritage as
both Kiwis and Chinese as an asset, and visualized themselves as being able to bridge
communities, even though they were aware that their Chinese language skills were often
insufficient.
While they would have emigrated to New Zealand under different circumstances (of low
numbers of migrants), their successful integration into New Zealand cultural life points to a
strategy of acculturation that does not involve differentiating oneself from the mainstream,
but viewing oneself as a combination of qualities from both the heritage ethnicity and society
at large-- in short, an assimilative integration strategy. New migrants by contrast clearly
identified themselves as Chinese, and were able to articulate clear differences between
themselves and Kiwis. These results suggest that a multi-generational pattern of
acculturation for Asian migrants is one pathway forward (Liu & Moughan, 2010). But this
type of integration is by no means assured in the contemporary environment of large
numbers of new migrants being able to form ethnic enclaves both for their own comfort and
as a shield against prejudice and discrimination from society at large. If such a pattern were
to emerge and be sustained, then the 20th century “Kiwi Chinese” pattern of multigenerational integration would no longer be viable. Furthermore, in the current economic
environment the historical pattern of integrative acculturation which came at the cost of the
loss of Chinese language skills in the Kiwi Chinese group, which is a significant loss if New
Zealand is to establish higher levels of trade with China.
5. Importance of Promoting Social Inclusion and Cohesion
Skilled migrants are increasingly sought in New Zealand to fill gaps and shortages that exist
in the labour force. Ensuring that migrants feel welcome, supported and satisfied with their
lives in NZ, as we have seen, will in turn increase self-esteem and good mental health. On
the other side of this, migrants’ experiences of discrimination, not having close friends,
spending time only with their own ethnic groups, and being unemployed were all shown to
predict the diagnosis of clinical levels of depression for Indo-Chinese refugees (Pernice &
Brook, 1996). Racial discrimination (including physical and verbal abuse, as well as unfair
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