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.
In conclusion, I would suggest New Zealand Immigration should do an “Attitude Test” to every migrate and overseas Chinese student who are going to New Zealand. The authorities should also kill all those bad agents who are selling “Fake Hopes” and picking the wrong person to land on our beautiful land.
Every migrate and overseas Chinese student also need to pass the New Zealand Road Code Test. Since many Chinese use bicycles and public transport in their hometown, rich Chinese actually have chauffeur back home. Many of them have very poor road sense. Even some of them have Chinese Driver Licenses, they are hardly use them. I believe the compulsory test could keep our road safe.
There are ignorant and arrogant Asians in this country (especially Auckland). They ignore New Zealand road codes and New Zealand laws until they are caught red handed. Rather then being tough on English level, I am begging New Zealand to do some good screening. I look forward a compulsory Road Code Test, Fishery Law Test and Attitude Test for every new comer to New Zealand. I always wonder why our authorities do not pick the right Chinese who will contribute and assimilate to our community. I certainly school agents are not happy with my tone especially they are big clients of many local Auckland Chinese papers. This is the reason I never write this article in Chinese.
On the other hand, our Export Education sector should have the attitude to help and guiding young Chinese to the Boulevard of success. I believe every kiwis are people with compassion. Maybe we should launch a campaign to save those frustrated Chinese students who already landed. Let us be their mentor and guide them to the NZ way of success. Don’t let them turn into the highway to hell. If we can, so can the million of Chinese parents who would really thank us and really give a big boast to our “Export Education Industry”. As a Chinese idiom said, "Water can lift and also sink a boat." See how smart our fellow New Zealanders can handle the issue.
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