The Press TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1973. Immigrants and race

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33213, 1 May 1973, Page 12

The Press TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1973. Immigrants and race

The Citizens’ Association for Racial Equality touches on a moral dilemma which should concern all New Zealanders when it asks the Government to revise the country’s immigration policies. C.A.R.E.’s concern is not with the level of immigration, but with the degree to which race plays a part in the selection of immigrants. C.A.R.E. says that race and ethnic origin should be ignored, implying that such factors are irrelevant to the question of an immigrant’s capacity for assimilation into New Zealand’s present society.

Is race irrelevant in that context? If a Zambian applies to enter New Zealand as a permanent resident, he—or his children —may become less conscious of his Zambian origin, but he could never remain unaware that the colour of his skin sets him apart from other New Zealanders, pakeha, Polynesian or Chinese. If the immigration authorities aim, as they should, for easy and quick assimilation, then the principal criteria will be fluency in oral and written English, a standard of education equal to that of average New Zealanders, a useful level of occupational training, and—perhaps—familiarity with and understanding of New Zealand’s cultural background.

Many Asians and Africans, coming as they do from countries that have been British colonies in the quite recent past, would qualify on all counts. So if no other important criteria are devised, their exclusion on the ground that they are not of European origin would — rightly — be interpreted as evidence of racial prejudice. Control over the kind and quality of immigrants admitted to New Zealand is clearly necessary if New Zealand’s inhabitants wish to shape their own society; just as control over the number of immigrants admitted will always be desirable. But there is no valid reason for making colour and race—factors which are anyway often blurred beyond accurate identification —part of the test. The Labour Party undertook in its election manifesto to administer an immigration policy so as to avoid “ social, political and economic problems ”, An “open-door” policy, restricted only as to number, would obviously not meet that criterion. But a policy which discriminates between equally suitable applicants solely on racial grounds is both unjust and incompatible with New Zealand’s claim to be a successful multi-racial society. The general review of immigration policies now being conducted by the Government will help reinforce New Zealand’s concept of itself If it results in the creation of a new set of selection criteria which sum up applicants as individuals and not as members of particular races. New Zealand has always attracted migrants, in greater or lesser degree according to economic circumstances, and will presumably continue to do so—irrespective of official encouragement. Once the selection process has been placed on a fair, humane footing, the question of the level of immigration to be aimed at from time to time can be resolved in an atmosphere untainted by any suggestion that New Zealand operates an unspoken, but nevertheless real, “white and brown New Zealand policy”.