A version of this article was published in the Saugat magazine, Volume 15, April 2021. Saugat is an annual publication of the New Zealand Nepal Society.
In the nineties, there were a few hundred people of Nepali origin in New Zealand, mostly in urban centres such as Auckland and Christchurch. At present, according to anecdotal estimates, there are around twenty thousand members of the Nepali community residing throughout the country, spread across North and South islands. Within the last five years, thousands have arrived until the early 2021 when migration was halted by the Covid pandemic. The majority of the recent Nepali migrants to New Zealand are young students. With the population growing rapidly, the social dynamics of Nepali community is evolving differently over the recent years.
The present state of our engagement and participation with the wider New Zealand society
It is observed that there is a strong sense of togetherness and fellowship among the members of Nepali community, driven mainly by our bond and association to homeland. The nature of social activities that the members of Nepali community participate in, and the population we engage with, continue to remain predominantly inward-looking. Majority of events, activities and engagement appears to be within or among the community members. Our engagement and participation with the wider New Zealand society continues to be few and far between.
For the sake of clarity, Nepali community does participate and engage with the wider New Zealand society. However, the degree, frequency and scale of such wider participation and cross-engagement seems to be nominal.
As the saying goes, “birds of a feather flock together”, we all tend to prefer to be with like-minded people. When this continues to occur over a long period of time among a larger group, as it has been happening with the Nepali community in New Zealand, this may gradually induce unintended complications and complexities. The extreme case of such social behaviour of engaging “among our own” may inadvertently and gradually lead the community towards a state of social isolation or communal segregation in the long run.
It is only natural, and only a matter of time, that at some point in the future we may see a tipping point with regards to the above-mentioned social characteristics of Nepali community. At that stage, the predominantly inward-looking social behaviour will take a new course. With shifting demographics, new social dynamics will continue to evolve. When this occurs, the community’s ongoing focus will shift towards a different horizon. There is space and valid need to broaden the mode, frequency and level of engagement and participation of Nepali community with the wider New Zealand society.
Connections and achievements of Nepali community in New Zealand
The Nepali-Kiwi connection was forged in 1953 at the top of the world. The first ascent of Mount Everest by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary and their life-long friendship has a major role in the harmonious companionship of people from our two nations. Sir Ed fondly and regularly attended many events organised by the Nepali community. Lady June gracefully continues to do so. The Tenzing-Hillary connection is a symbol of mutual respect and connection that continues to grow between Nepal and New Zealand. This connection is acknowledged with great pride and joy among both Nepali and Kiwi circles whenever the spheres of the two communities intersect.
Many people of Nepali origin have achieved great success at various areas such as academics, business and professional practice. For example, there are very well-respected academicians in Universities among us. Some of us are in senior or managerial roles in technical discipline or in other specialist expertise areas. We have a budding number of PhD graduates. Our people own and run successful businesses in various industries such as hospitality and horticulture. Similarly, many members of Nepali community are making a sizable contribution to the lucrative market of the dairy industry in New Zealand.
It is fair to say that the achievers noted above are only a small sample. Many others who have accomplished varying degrees of success may have chosen to remain silently under the radar. There are two salient features about the above-mentioned Nepali “success story” in New Zealand. Firstly, the success attained is at an individual level. Secondly, we are yet to attain a greater level of achievement in the societal sphere, either individually or as a collective.
Our community organisations across New Zealand continue to be a vehicle of social cohesion among our community members. They have a range of functions and provide a range of services. Community organisations are a platform for us to come together and interact with each other. One of their most important roles is their ability and willingness to offer us a sense of belonging. Such a sense of acceptance serves as a social anchor to us all. This social support is even more relevant to our newcomers during the challenging stage of initial days after arriving in a new country or during uncertain times such as that seen during the Covid pandemic.
Nepali community organisations have delivered a range of events and programs by successfully involving a large number of our community members. Such programs tend to be mostly related to our culture and festivals of Nepal. Some events and activities involve promoting and showcasing Nepal and Nepali culture to the wider New Zealand population. More recently, our sport clubs across New Zealand have been successfully delivering an important societal function of building a network among the younger generation in addition to achieving sporting goals. The Nepali community has also made contributions towards philanthropic causes in service of the wider Nepali population based in New Zealand and Nepal.
Members of Nepali community have been able to connect and build good networks with some “influential” Kiwi organisations and individuals. Similar to our individual achievements, these connections and networks, albeit at a limited degree, also seem to be occurring at a personal level rather than that as a collective of Nepali community. We are yet to institutionalise such connections and networks, and utilise such links to help advance our common cause for the greater good of our community.
Where do we go from here?
Have you ever wondered why people of Nepali origin rarely have a noticeable presence in the wider institutions of New Zealand’s social fabric? We don’t seem to actively or frequently participate or contribute as a community outside our own circle or similar interest groups. There is ample space for capable and willing people among us to step up and fill the leadership vacuum to bridge the existing gap between Nepali community and the wider Kiwi society.
An outward-looking liberal approach towards engagement and participation is the only way forward for our community members to become an integral part of the multicultural social fabric of the New Zealand society. Such an approach will be necessary to ensure that Nepali community’s say matters, and that our interests are well-represented within the wider Kiwi society.
To achieve outcomes different from the status quo is going to require not only just a tweak here or there but also a paradigm shift in revisiting the role and responsibility of Nepali community within the wider Kiwi society. The community members will have to step out of our comfort zone. Members of our community will need to step up to reach out and interact with other communities and institutions of the wider New Zealand society.
Nepali community can learn from other migrant communities such as those from India, China and the Philippines. Migrant communities from such countries not only are more organised but also have established strong networks, as a collective, within the various facets of wider Kiwi society. A good start for our community can be to reach out to connect and collaborate with these migrant communities. We can learn from their experience about effective and efficient ways of building long-lasting relationships and connections to achieve results that benefit our community at large.
The way forward
It may be years before one of us becomes a member of the Parliament, but what is stopping us from stepping up to be a member of the Board of Trustees of our children’s school? Or run for office of local community boards of local councils of the city we live in? Or make a contribution as an Executive Committee member of social organisations such as “Multicultural New Zealand” or local council’s ethnic bodies?
The risk of continuing with the status quo of communal and parochial social behaviour is that it is only going to hinder the chances of growth and development of our members and our offsprings; many of whom are born Kiwis. The journey towards a more progressive, liberal and open community starts with self-reflection, both at an individual and collective level. We need to acknowledge that our ongoing activities, actions and attitudes are likely to be inadvertently hindering our ability and chances to advance our common cause.
Such realisation needs to be followed by actions that seek to proactively drive the common narrative of our community towards being open-minded and welcoming. We need to reach out to build bridges and explore new ideas. We have to seek opportunities to initiate, forge and advance relationships across the entire spectrum of the wider Kiwi society. This will help open up new avenues for our members to actively engage with the wider Kiwi society, and to advance our common cause.
Three decades ago, Nepali migrant community in New Zealand was a relatively homogenous group of a few hundred concentrated within certain locations. The current context has vastly changed. Now, tens of thousands of us are spread widely across the entire country. We are from a greatly diverse demographic background. Our community continues to grow rapidly and we are ever evolving, adapting and transforming in our adopted home. This process of change is not only a function of our relocation from Nepal, but also a reality of our life’s circumstances through the series of stages we experience after arriving onto the shores of New Zealand.
In the past, our collective effort was on maintaining contact and building connection among our community members. In the current context, there is a pressing need to venture beyond that primary focus. Whilst we acknowledge and respect our legacy values from the past, going forward, our collective thinking should cater for addressing our current needs and managing our peoples’ future aspirations. Obviously, the status quo is not fit for the future, and in a worst case scenario, a blatant recipe for disaster.
Connecting at a wider level with other communities and various institutions will help us not only identify better opportunities for ourselves, but also enable us to make meaningful contributions towards the wider Kiwi society. Ultimately, such liberal approach of engagement across a spectrum of Kiwi society, will help us advance our collective cause. It is the only way forward to propel our community to new heights.
What does success look like?
If we continue to adopt an inward-looking approach to engagement and participation, our community is most likely to remain under the radar within the wider Kiwi society. On the other hand, should we wish to operate differently and be ambitious, we may achieve a lot in the short, medium and long term. Here are a few examples, in no particular ranking or preference.
Short and medium term (3-5 years):
- Our collective actions such as cultural events and sports contests are well-attended and duly acknowledged by wider members of theKiwi society.
- Our community leaders are frequently invited and acknowledged as important guests at major multicultural events such as Diwali and Chinese New Year.
- We are contributing as board members of business organisations, multicultural societies or voluntary organisations. While others are members of the Board of Trustees of our children’s school.
- A few of us have been acknowledged by the New Zealand government for our outstanding contribution towards the wider Kiwi society.
- We are serving as elected representatives in community bodies such as councils, Health Board and Community Trusts.
- Our players have made it to national and regional contests by playing in squads such as Auckland Diamonds (netball), Wellington Phoenix (football) or Auckland Aces (cricket).
Long term (7-10 years):
- At least one us has made it to the Beehive as a member of the New Zealand Parliament.
- A few of us have made it as councillors in local councils.
- Nepal Day is acknowledged and promoted as a major event by Auckland Council and other territorial authorities throughout New Zealand.
- Our players are representing New Zealand at international levels in teams such as the Silver Ferns, All Whites or Black Caps.
- One of us has been nominated for the coveted award of New Zealander of the Year.
These are only a few examples of our potential should we aspire to be ambitious and to reach new heights. They will come to fruition only through adopting an outward-looking, more liberal and aspirational approach to our engagement, participation and contribution. These could be stepping stones to facilitate a respectable presence in our adopted home.
The choice is ours.
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