A Government apology to the Chinese community for a discriminatory tax imposed 142 years ago will be re-done tonight in the language of the settlers it affected.
In 2002, the Government, under the leadership of former Prime Minister Helen Clark, made a formal apology to the early settler Chinese community for a poll tax enabled through the Chinese Immigrants Act.
Chinese settlers were the only ethnic group required to pay a poll tax to enter the country. It was set at £10 in 1881, then raised to £100 in 1896, which was greater than the average annual wage at the time.
Adjusted to today's dollars, £100 is about $23,000.
However, the 2002 apology was delivered in English and Mandarin - the latter a Chinese language the early settlers did not speak.
The event tonight, held in the Beehive's banquet hall, was also attended by the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong, Speaker Adrian Rurawhe and Labour MP Naisi Chen.
Xiaolong said New Zealand was a "world leader in diversity".
Chen said the evening included “righting” what had been done in the past.
Community elder Esther Fung, speaking on behalf of the NZ Chinese Association, was relieved the apology was to be delivered in Cantonese at a formal Government function today.
“This is rightful acknowledgement to those who paid the poll tax. If they were still alive, they would understand these words and so be able to fully accept the apology. It is noted that the apology included the descendants and other discriminatory statutes. That is significant for us today as into the future.”
Fung said her great grandparents were poll taxpayers.
She said the poll tax was "discrimination imposed by statute".
She said many elders in 2002 who were descended from poll taxpayers could not understand the Mandarin translation of the apology and sadly many of them had passed away.
"Hearing the Cantonese version today is a balm."
NZCA National President Jenny Too said language was the "key to preserving any culture".
"Cantonese is the heritage language of our original settlers. We honour them by continuing to speak it.”
Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities Minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan said she understood how important language was as a "connector to one's heritage, history and identity".
Radhakrishnan said the past law had been racist.
“While I understand that the 2002 formal apology delivered in English & Mandarin was welcomed by our NZ Chinese communities at the time, I know that many of the early settlers who were subjected to the poll tax, and their descendants, spoke Cantonese.
"A large majority of them had travelled to New Zealand from Southern regions of China. I understand that some of the Chinese New Zealanders who were in the room for the original apology were unable to fully understand either the English or the Mandarin version."
She said many in the Cantonese-speaking communities had advocated for the apology to be delivered in Cantonese.
"Today, we do just that. The 2002 apology will be formally delivered in Cantonese to value and honour those who suffered the indignity of the poll tax and their language.”
The original apology also came with funding to set up a Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust to support community initiatives to preserve Chinese New Zealand customs and language.
SHARE ME