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Many Asians are very successful and have been awarded in many Western societies. We are no invaders but working hard to make our world a better place. We choose to be in Western countries instead in living in Asia because of many reasons. In many cases, Asian talents are actually fly much, much higher in the west. Most of our people believe those “Asian Tongs”, “Crazy Asian Drivers”, “Chinese law breakers” and even “Chinese beneficiaries” are embarrassing us.
What I can say. Chinese Tongs are usually the type of young Chinese who are failed in the conventional education system in China, Taiwan or Hong Kong. Many of us really have no compassion to them and call them “Garbage”. Many Chinese parents believe, “If their kids fail in China, would that be a turn around in an advance and modern western country?” If they are already bad boys and bad girls in China, they are very likely to become Tongs in any other country.
Money driven Immigration and Oversea Students agents are sending wrong messages in China and other countries. Since those are business and money orientated, they try to hide the difficulties of settling and studying in a foreign land in order to sell their services. They are all selling a false “hope” that once you land in New Zealand, everything will be OK and turn around. Those irresponsible agents usually do not care about their clients but only money. They always try to convince the parents with bad boys and girls that, “Once they are educated in an advance country like New Zealand, they will become good men and women. They will quickly earn the University Degree and New Zealand Residency within a few years. This is a big fat lie that is spreading around in China and attracting tones of Chinese students with the wrong attitude. They believe their success will come quickly. Those bad agencies should be blamed to channel those “garbage” to “our” beautiful land and expect we could turn them to treasure. Bad immigration agents seem selling New Zealand is an “Asian Recycling Centre”!
Once they landed New Zealand and all the problems popped out. They have language, culture crashes and transport problems. Those problems actually never happened in their life before. They are far away from parents. They don’t know who to talk to and where to seek help. They became extremely frustrated. Would a frustrated mind accomplish the “Mission to become a good man/woman?” Sound more like a “Mission Impossible”, doesn’t it? They realized that what their agent told their parents were lies.
Since they are far away from parents, some parents are usually quite generous and send them lots of money for them to spend. In most parts of China, gambling and sex trade is actually illegal. Many of those new comers actually try their first gambling and/or first visit to Massage Parlours in New Zealand.
The other type of Chinese students do not have a rich family. They got the funding probably from his or her savings or loan from family, extended families and friends. When they reach New Zealand, the poor male student may meet some of his peers who are ultra rich. He and his poorer Chinese classmate may be jealous and these kinds of emotions fuel him to kidnapping their classmate. I believe certain Chinese kidnapper have this kind of thinking and believe they can get a “King” ransom. As local media reported New Zealand police crack down on those kidnaps. Other Chinese in the community feel embarrassed and ask how those kid can do that. But this kind of incident will keep repeating as long as the rich and poorer Chinese living in the same community. All of the above problems also happen in other Chinese community in Australia, Canada, USA and UK.
Chinese leaders around the world already acted a long time ago but they actually do not have much influence over every individual Chinese, especially those black sheeps. Some of them already put many articles on local Chinese papers and remind us to be “Law Abiding” and “Do not do anything to embarrass our image in New Zealand.” Furthermore, those free Chinese papers always have articles to explain and discuss every law and policies that affect us. Our community actually has abundant resources to learn about New Zealand. The question is “Would those ‘black sheeps’ have the attitude to do any research and learn the New Zealand Way?” Furthermore, many new comers and New Zealand Chinese citizen do not have any connections with any established Chinese leaders in New Zealand.
Recently, I see the popular of free internet conferencing and lower price of long distance phone call in New Zealand and Asia actually improve the situation. Everyday after school, the student can chit chat with their parents for their long time. The parents no longer rely on agents to get information. The student can report what is really happening in New Zealand and the parents can give more emotional support to their kids.
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Writer Profile
A. Tsang
I was born in Hong Kong, China in the year 1975. I'm a born Catholic and educated in English and Chinese since kindergarten. I arrived in Auckland in 1993 as an overseas student at Sacred Heart College. A year later, I followed my parents, migrating to New Zealand in investment categories.
I tried to get a degree at AUT and Auckland Uni but never made it. I earned a Diploma of Language and Culture at Auckland Institute of Studies. I was working in a gas station and as a caregiver in 2 healthcare organizations, but had no employment for longer than 1 year.
During my unemployment, I worked with my dad with some freelance interpreting, cleaning, lawn mowing for my dad's property and as a 24-7 sole caregiver to my pregnant wife. I am also an active volunteer and trustee of a Chinese Mental Health Family Support Group based in the Eastern Suburbs of Auckland. During my 12 year stay in Auckland, I flew back to Hong Kong 6 times, with one trip to Tianjin City, China (a city close to Beijing).
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Comments
Cherrie Kong | Aug 20th, 2005
That's an interesting article. Maybe we could start helping "new-comer" youth at the grassroots level... that is, helping them make friends with the right crowd so that they feel safe here and thus, can work to achieve their potential.
We must not leave the responsibility to the government - we can help too by explaining the differences and making them feel a sense of belonging, a sense of ownership in this new, foreign country.
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