Newspaper Article 1975 – The changing attitudes of Chinese in Hawke’s Bay

The changing attitudes of Chinese in Hawke’s Bay . . .

THIS article by staff reporter MARY HOLLYWOOD is the first of a two-part series about the Chinese community in Hawke’s Bay. Today’s article examines New Zealand’s impact on the Chinese way of life; the second part will look at the history of the Chinese in the province.

Filial love and traditional Chinese respect for older and elderly relations is still a strong influence on Chinese community life in Hawke’s Bay. But, while it is still a way of life for the “middle generation”, it is seen as a mark of obsequiousness only by today’s Chinese teenagers.

This was only one of the aspects of Chinese community life the district which was apparent from discussions with several groups in Hawke’s Bay.

But the humble pride and preservation of “face”, so important to the older group, is seen by some younger Chinese today as a type of snobbery – snobbery with a commercial slant.

Among the teenage group there is an in-bred feeling of respect for elders but there is also evidence of change. It is silent evidence, as the young feel it could be construed as treason.

“This keeping face thing is a type of snobbery, it is a kind of one-upmanship on other Chinese and even Europeans. When parents talk about pride in our race it has a commercial slant. It means bigger cars, bigger houses, possessions, more important jobs and more successful children,” one 19-year-old girl said.

She said her father was a “horticulturist” to some, “commercial grower” to others and a “market gardener” when he was feeling honest.

Affection

She said it with affection; combined with an “I-see-through-you” smile.

While there is no doubt Chinese parents like to see their children excel at school, at play and in the commercial world, they appear to be unselfish in this.

They appear to want for their children the extras they did not have as children. They are seeking the best for the teenage generation of Chinese – back-breaking work in market gardens, or endless hours in green groceries are far from their thoughts.

Fewer teenagers are encouraged to follow in dad’s footsteps in these traditionally Chinese occupations in New Zealand.

While the parent and older generations will go to any length to help other Chinese in times of trouble – with no thought of criticism or censure, even when apparently deserved – the younger generation is not so tolerant. They feel they have the right to be critical. Some even resent the restrictions placed on them in their homes.

The family and clan spirit is still very strong in the over-40 group and counties of origin within China itself are very much a part of their community life.

Early immigration laws, the harsh treatment of Chinese miners on the gold fields of Central Otago and the coolie labourers brought in as railway labourers are “history” to Hawke’s Bay Chinese – more than the trials and tribulations of their home-land, China.

Differences

To a man the Chinese community in Hawke’s Bay decries any suggestion of discrimination. Few have experienced racially slanted taunts – except in the usual “catty” comment situation common in most school playgrounds.

If anything it is the Chinese who remember the differences.

“I was once asked to play Snow White in a local pantomime. I said I could not because I was Chinese. All the women looked startled when I said it. It was as if I had reminded them that I was. “Then they all said – but what difference does that make,” a Chinese mother said.

A businessman, born and educated in China, and a recent arrival in New Zealand, by comparison with his peers, said he took over a shoe store in a provincial town.

“I had not been there long when a child came in with her mother. She said a Chinese man should not work in a shoe shop. I heard the mother comment, “Goodness gracious, girl, why not?”

Another Chinese father said he heard a “sing-song comment” about Chinese passed by a young child. He heard the child being rebuked but admitted he felt like administering a sharp slap where it hurt.

Unkindnesses are remembered by nearly all age groups but actual discrimination – no.

Visit China

Being Chinese is something the older and parent generation are proud of. They regret losing some of their traditional cultures. They are generally firm in their desire to keep their families “Chinese”.

Many parents have plans for their children to visit China “at a suitable stage of their growing up”. Again there is variance between the older and younger generations. Most Chinese teenagers express little or no desire to go “specifically” to China. As part of a trip overseas – yes. As a “nostalgic journey”, no.

The Chinese language is also being lost in certain sections – sections with slight contact with the commercial world. Fewer young people can speak it even at conversational level. They are fluent as pre-schoolers but are losing the ability as they mix more with school associates in a European-dominated society.

The language barrier creates its own problems but bi-lingual Chinese are on hand to translate, not only in legal and court matters but with visits to doctors, dentists – even shopping.

This “loss” of language does not seem to give concern to the parent generation. Part of their plan for the future is that their children will learn, or re-learn the language during their “time” in China later on.

“Then they will learn the language in a total situation.” one mother said.

Most Chinese parents have returned on visits to China but consciously they regard New Zealand as home. They admit their knowledge and memory of their former homeland would be vastly different from the actual situation existing today.

For those of the second and third generations born in New Zealand, the ties with China are kept alive through the family rather than close links with Asia.

Photo captions –

Recent arrivals in New Zealand, Cheu Kwong Wing (left) and Cheu Shing, were soon hard at work in the market gardens at Bay View. They have been in the country six weeks, but will soon attend lessons in basic English, probably at the Hawke’s Bay Community College.

Left: A link with the past . . . Mr and Mrs Gow Sing Chin come to Hawke’s Bay from Dunedin “a long time ago” so long they just can not remember. Now in their late 70’s the couple have retired to Bay View. They cultivate a few spring onions as an “interest.” Even now, neither can speak English. Mrs Chin wears her mein lerp, or padded jacket, but Mr Chin put on his suit for this “important picture”.

MRS GWEN GEE YOUNG came to Hawke’s Bay from China in 1937. She says it has been cabbages, cauliflowers and carrots ever since. But she appeared the typical grandma when it came to bottle-time for four-month-old Christine Young. Older brothers, 2½-year-old Winston William Young kept a watchful eye on our photographer for a while, but seemed quite happy to resume his cowboy game after being reassured the camera was not dangerous.

BELOW: Gavin Wong could be just any little boy from anywhere. But then, every small boy loves trucks!