First it was Winston Peters, a New Zealand opposition leader, basing election appeals on sentiment against Asian immigrants. Then it was an Australian member of parliament, a Mrs. Hanson, making an anti-Asian speech in the hallowed halls of that body. New Zealand and Australia are seen by many Chinese as the "new paradise" for emigration, but already anti-Asian clouds are forming.
Much of the anti-Asian sentiment is based on a feeling that many Asian immigrants are "fly-by-night" residents-simply enjoying the good life in their new homes, without taking any responsibility or making any contribution.
Is that really the situation? It must be said that there are some immigrants who do nothing but golf and send their children back and forth to school. But they do not represent everyone.
History tells us that the first person to develop the export market for New Zealand dairy products was in fact a Chinese. It was Chew Chong, who opened one of the first dairy plants in New Zealand. He thus contributed to building the foundations for an industry in which today New Zealand is a world leader.
And, in current times, there are many new Chew Chongs, who are successfully turning resources in New Zealand and Australia into products, and then marketing these into previously untapped Asian markets.
We present a report on the some of these individuals in this, the last article in our current series on Chinese in Australia and New Zealand.