The changing faces of Wellington

By KELLY BURNS - The Dominion Post

Asians calling Wellington home are changing the face of the capital - making it a truly international city.

The capital has the most New Zealand-born Chinese and Indian people, reflecting its close ties with Asia.

With strong ethnic communities, diplomatic posts and international students, Wellington has the second-largest Asian population, after Auckland.

By 2021 the number of Asian people in the city is predicted to double from 37,000 to 61,000.

An Asia NZ Foundation report, Asians in Wellington: Changing the ethnic profile of the capital city, by Auckland University's Wardlow Friesen, found the "ethnoscape" was changing. While Wellington has long-term links with China and India, migrants from Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines, are now settling here.

Director of policy and research Andrew Butcher said the Asian population was remarkably diverse and spread through the city. The 51 per cent predicted population growth to 2021 would include more people identifying with more than one ethnic group. But it was lower than past years.

"There has been a much larger increase in the last 20 years than what's projected."

The city has 121 restaurants identified as "Asian" in the latest Yellow Pages and its 15 Thai restaurants make it the highest number per capita in the country.

Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast said the report showed how far the city had come in terms of diversity of its population, which was something people had generally embraced and celebrated.

"Its conclusions reflect a very important step on Wellington's journey to becoming a truly international city."

The report is the fifth and final in the series and used Statistics NZ figures from 15 Asian ethnic groups, including Middle Eastern countries, viewed as being "West Asia".

Asians living in Wellington thought the city was "cosmopolitan", "quiet", and its people friendly.

"I never feel like a stranger in this city. Actually now it feels like my home," said Sarjon Warde, originally from Iraq.

The report said a small Chinatown emerged in Wellington in the 19th century as Chinese moved north after the gold rush, whereas Indian settlement was more sporadic and gradual.

Further links were developed with students arriving under the 1951 Colombo Plan.

Now 17.4 per cent of the student population at Victoria University identifies itself as Asian. Many national ethnic associations have headquarters in the city and at least 11 Asian countries have diplomatic representatives.

COSMOPOLITAN CAPITAL

1. Sarjon Warde, 33.

An Assyrian from Iraq, Sarjon moved to New Zealand in 2000.

He has two jobs, working as a translator and as a shift manager at McDonald's.

"I love it, everything. The nature, the oceans, the different people and different communities.

"I never feel like a stranger in this city. Actually now it feels like my home."

"It's hard to feel discrimination in the city as everyone else is from somewhere else too!"

2. Azmilruldin Badruddin, 25.

Born in Malaysia and moved to Wellington four years ago to study e-commerce at Victoria University. He hopes to stay after he graduates next year. He chose New Zealand: "Because of the rugby, I played rugby back in Malaysia."

"I feel very connected to New Zealand, the people are very friendly."

3. Abdul Qadir, 39,

Born in Pakistan, he moved to Wellington three years ago to work at the Pakistan high commission.

"I like it here. I like the weather, where I live in Pakistan it's very hot. It's very quiet, people are friendly, it's not a big city."

4. Dennis Kwan, 19.

New Zealand-born to Chinese parents, Dennis grew up in Auckland. "I speak Cantonese to my mum and dad and English to my brother and sisters." He moved to Wellington last year to study at Massey University. "It's pretty cool, really lively. Here I have more multi-cultural friends, the majority are Chinese and Asian. I feel like I have stronger links in Wellington to Chinese culture."

5. Stella Sutrisna, 18.

Born in Indonesia, she moved to New Zealand when she was seven. She speaks four languages and is studying Japanese at Victoria University. "I do still have strong links, there's a good [Indonesian] community here."

6. Leo Chida, 20.

Born in Japan and moved to New Zealand when he was seven. He spent 10 years in Christchurch then shifted to the capital to study design at Massey. "It's great, very cosmopolitan and multi-cultural. They are accepting here, of who you are and your culture."

7. Chatchai Tajoprarang, 19.

From Thailand, he moved here with his family in 2003. He is a student doing a travel course and plays rugby for Johnsonville U21. "It's windy and sporty here, with friendly people."

8. Darath Ny, 17.

From Cambodia, his family moved to Wellington when he was 11 years old.

He is a pupil at Newlands College and does hip hop dancing.

Does he see himself as a Kiwi kid? "More like Samoan, because our whole dance group is Samoan and I'm the only Asian."

9 .Huda Sabour Melsom, 52.

Her parents are Persian but she was born in Iraq. At 15, she was imprisoned for four months because of her Bahai' faith.

She fled Iraq for Britain, met her Englishman husband and moved to Wellington in 1982.

"He said, 'I'll take you to the most beautiful country in the world'. We definitely made a good decision."

Her five children were born here and she works as a translator.

She is returning to Iraq at the end of the year to visit family.

10. Lisa Park, 20.

She moved from Korea to Christchurch with her family in 1995 and arrived in Wellington two years ago to study at Massey University. She speaks Korean and English but: "I'm like a Kiwi" and had experienced racism. "Getting called names, and 'go back to your own country'.

"I think Wellington is worse because in Christchurch there are more Asians and I tended to hang with them."

11. Fahima Haidari, 42,

From Kabul, Afghanistan and arrived in Wellington in August 2005 as a refugee with her husband and five children.

She has three part-time jobs including as a cross-cultural worker for refugee services.

"It's nice, quiet and good for education."

12. Alice Lozano, 44.

A Filipino who moved to Wellington in 1987 after meeting a Kiwi in the Philippines. She works in administration.

"I use to sell flowers on the street, I was a streetkid. She would send me money each month till I finished my degree.

"She brought me here and I never wanted to go home."

13. Miki Patel, 24.

Born in India, she has been in New Zealand about 13 years and is an IT risk consultant.

She goes to India every second year and met her husband there. "I just got married at the start of this year and my husband has moved over [from India]. There's a big community here, with lots of events."

14. Ly Nguyen, 20.

Born in Hong Kong, she is Vietnamese but moved to New Zealand with her family as a one-year-old. She is studying design at Massey University and has never been to Vietnam. "I still call myself Vietnamese when people ask me. But I don't know where I belong."

15. Samantha Senanayke, 24.

From Sri Lanka she moved had been in New Zealand 12 years.

She does Sri Lankan dancing, "that keeps me in touch with my Sri Lankan friends".

ASIAN SNAPSHOT

By 2021, the Asian population of Wellington is likely to be about 61,500 - an increase of 51 per cent.

One-third of Chinese and Indians living in Wellington are New Zealand-born.

There are 121 Asian restaurants in Wellington, including 30 Indian, 29 Chinese and 15 Thai restaurants.

17.4 per cent of students at Victoria University identify themselves as Asian.

Chinese make the highest number of international students at tertiary institutions, while Koreans predominate at secondary school.

31 per cent of Asians have a university degree, higher than the population's 21 per cent average.

Only 13 per cent of Asians do not have a high school qualification, significantly lower than among the total population.

POPULATION

15 largest Asian ethnic groups in Wellington, 2006

Chinese 14,898

Indian 11,073

Filipino 2370

Sri Lankan 1698

Cambodian 1515

Japanese 948

Korean 813

Vietnamese 684

Thai 597

Iraqi 519

Malay 495

Indonesian 414

Iranian/Persian 141

Pakistani 129

Afghan 60

Total: 36,354

15 WAYS TO SAY HELLO

These greetings are arranged as follows: Nationality (language): Hello (pronunciation)

Afghan (Dari): Asalam ualikum (ah-sah-LAAM oo-LAY-kum)

Filipino (Pilipino): Mabuhay (mah-BOO-high)

Malay (Bahasa Melayu): Apa khabar (AH-pa k'-BAR)

Iraqi (Assyrian): Shlama lakhon (sh-LAAM-ah LAY-kun)

Iranian/Persian (Farsi): Salam (sah-LAAM)

Sri Lankan (Sinhala): Ayubowan (aa-YOO-bo-waan)

Japanese (Japanese): Konnichiwa (ko-NEE-chee-waa)

Vietnamese (Vietnamese): Chao (JOW)

Chinese (Cantonese): Ni huo mai (nee-how-MY)

Korean (Korean): Annyong ha shimnikka (an-YOH HA-shim-ni-kah)

Thai (Thai): Sawatdee (sah-wut-DEE)

Cambodian (Khmer): Suor sdei (soo-es-DAY)

Indonesian (Indonesian): Assalamu alaikum (ah-sah-LAAM-oo a-LAY-kum)

Pakistani (Urdu): Asalam o allakiam (ah-sah-LAAM oo-LAY-kee-um)

Indian (Gujarati): Kem cho (kem cho)