Speech to launch the Rising Dragons, Soaring Bananas

Good evening, it is a pleasure to be here this evening to help celebrate the Rising Dragons, Soaring Bananas International Conference.

I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Chinese Association Auckland Inc and the International Society for the Studies of Chinese Overseas for their efforts in making this conference possible.

I would also like to offer warm greetings to my Parliamentary colleagues, former Prime Minister, Right Honourable Jim Bolger, the Consul General of the People's Republic of China and other distinguished guests. It is a pleasure to extend a special welcome to our overseas guests.

Prime Minister John Key has asked me to pass on his apology for not being able to attend this evening's function and wishes you all a lively, informative and vibrant conference.

New Zealand has many reasons to be proud of our Chinese heritage and conferences like this are a good example of the growing pride we feel towards our country's diversity.

The Banana conference and others - such as the young Koreans' Kimchi Conference - are important because they provide networking opportunities and a platform to take stock and showcase the diversity and expertise of ethnic communities in New Zealand.

Contemporary Chinese talents have extended beyond being business people, doctors, accountants and lawyers to artists, film makers, writers, fashion designers, dancers and even politicians.

The challenge is for others to reflect and seek our opinions in our various specialist fields beyond immigration and migrant settlement related issues.

The other advantage of having a conference like this is to maintain interest and focus on the ever-increasing new evidences emerging about New Zealand Chinese history.

For a long time, I talked of the early migrant history as having started from the 1860s with Chinese gold miners, until I received a letter from the descendants of one Mr Appo Hocton - who arrived in Nelson aboard the Thomas Harrison and invited himself to stay in 1842.

It is important that we realise our Chinese communities are not just made up of recent migrants, but rather families that have been here for generations.

And many of those families have a proud history within the landscape of New Zealand, with Chinese New Zealanders showing innovations in the business world - including Mr Choi Sew Hoy who pioneered the gold dredger in Otago; Mr Chew Chong, who revolutionised our dairy export sector  with refrigeration technique and the standardisation of the iconic one pound butter.  Mr Tommy Ah Chee introduced the first supermarket to New Zealand.

Through the long history of significant business breakthroughs brought by Chinese New Zealanders, there is a general recognition that Chinese businesses are robust and innovative - yet many do not feel recognised by mainstream businesses.

The Asia New Zealand Foundation recently released their report into Chinese business owners in Auckland, finding that Chinese New Zealanders continue to contribute massively to our economy and attract trade with China.

But it also found that Chinese businesses were largely dealing with and catering to Chinese-New Zealanders - highlighting the possibility for Chinese businesses to expand.

It is an opportunity and challenge for local Chinese businesses to be celebrated as well as becoming visible, vocal and recognised economic forces in New Zealand.

I am determined for this to happen and the Office of Ethnic Affairs has made explicit reference to economic development in its objectives and I'm inviting you to work with us.

That may be one of the reasons that - among other things - you will be discussing the "glass ceiling" that prevents Chinese New Zealanders from achieving at the top level.

It is important that we openly discuss such topics and that we work together to find solutions to ensure that as a nation New Zealand is utilising the skills of all its people - including those from within our Chinese communities.

When talking about the barriers that hold ethnic New Zealanders back, I like to use the analogy of an invisible wall built up around ourselves.

A brick is added to the invisible wall every time we feel we are being discriminated against, or every time we feel that we are being held back because of our ethnicity.

Every barrier that we face - whether it be the historical Chinese Poll Tax issue; the so-called ‘Asian invasion' claims of the 1990s; or the feeling that as ethnic New Zealanders what we think doesn't really matter - are all bricks used to build this wall.

More bricks are added to this invisible wall every time we become offended by collective identity - through words like ‘those Asian' - and again every time a stereotype is born; every time we are made to feel like we don't belong.

And the mortar that holds this invisible wall together is made from the confusion that many of us feel in terms of our identity.

The Asia New Zealand Foundation research also published the views of Chinese business owners on their views of identity and found that New Zealand-born Chinese generally defined themselves as being both Chinese and Kiwi.

However, one interviewee noted that he identified most strongly as being Chinese when Chinese New Zealanders are being portrayed negatively in the media - which I suspect is a common feeling among many in the Chinese communities.

This is because even third or fourth generation Chinese New Zealanders often feel that they are "second class citizens"; that they aren't "real Kiwis", but they also aren't Chinese enough either.

That is why terms like "Banana" is used to describe Kiwi-born Chinese - yellow on the outside, but white on the inside.

It is both clever and smart to turn a less-than-complimentary label into something that will gain publicity while also making a statement about the need to possess self confidence and a sense of humour.

The fact that this term has been embraced at this conference  shows that identity issues are slowly eroding away - and the invisible wall is ready to come tumbling down; we are ready to step over the rubble and through to the other side as confident, equal and proud citizens.

A brick is removed every time a Chinese New Zealander works hard and achieves; every time signs of leadership are displayed.

Our Chinese New Zealand forefathers like Appo Hocton, Choi Sew Hoy, Chew Chong and Tommy Ah Chee have already left sizeable cracks in the invisible wall - making it easier for each passing generation to break through.

Each and every one of us has the ability to smash through the invisible wall and achieve, because we live in a country that embraces the value of fair go and encourages  its citizens to harness the tools of success - including a can do attitude that  can smash through any barrier.

The fact that I am standing here addressing you as New Zealand's first Cabinet Minister of Chinese descent is a sign that  "Yes, we can".

I am committed to ensuring that this invisible wall and other barriers that hamper New Zealand from utilising the skills of all our people are broken down for the benefit of our nation.

These are not just words; the Office of Ethnic Affairs is working towards this vision through its nomination service to promote more diversified expertise in the boardroom and by running leadership training workshops for emerging young leaders.

Other priorities of the Office include equal access to employment opportunities, health services and other government agencies.

Twice a year, there is now a formal dialogue engagement between New Zealand Chinese Association and myself to exchange our agenda and priorities for the year.

But we also need you to step forward as well because there is much to do and we want to do it together with you for the benefit of you and our country.

I wish you all the best for this Rising Dragons, Soaring  Bananas International Conference and I hope that during your discussions and workshops you help to identify ways that we can maximise the opportunities for Chinese New Zealanders to achieve.

Because no matter where we, our parents or our grandparents were born - by committing and contributing to this country we all have the right to call ourselves Kiwis.

Thank You.