Fifteen top young New Zealanders from the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Leadership Network will spend three days in Otago exploring the history of Chinese New Zealanders.
They will visit historic sites around the region and learn from academics and historians who will shed light on this important part of New Zealand’s history.
The Leadership Network provides professional development and leadership opportunities to emerging New Zealand leaders, supporting them to take an active role in strengthening New Zealand’s ties with Asia.
Asia New Zealand Foundation deputy executive director Adele Mason says it is the second time the Foundation has offered this experience to members of its Leadership Network. The opportunity was designed to help members grow their knowledge of Asia-New Zealand relationships while travel to Asia was constrained. Participants in last year’s tour expressed they had gained a much greater understanding of a key part of New Zealand history.
“Otago offers a unique and authentic experience for emerging leaders to gain new perspectives on early Chinese who came to New Zealand,” she says.
“It helps equips the next generation of New Zealand leaders with knowledge and understanding about how Asian people have contributed to New Zealand since the 19th century.”
Chinese people have settled in New Zealand since the 19th century. By the 1880s, the South Island goldfields had attracted up to 5,000 Chinese miners. Today, New Zealand’s Chinese communities are very diverse, including descendants of some of the earliest immigrants as well as more recent migrants not only from mainland China but also Hong Kong, Taiwan, and throughout other countries in Asia.
The Leadership Network members will travel to Dunedin, Lawrence and Arrowtown where there are historic sites and places of significance to the first Chinese to live in the region. Starting in Dunedin, participants will learn about the journey to New Zealand of the first Chinese people, helped by a range of guest presenters with expertise on Chinese New Zealanders — Dr James Ng, Malcolm Wong, Peter Chin, Emeritus Professor Manying Ip and Sean Brosnahan, of Tōitu Otago Settlers Museum.
The next destination will be Lawrence Chinese Camp, Lakes District Museum and Arrowtown Chinese Village, where participants will learn about the region’s history, and share reflections with each other.
After last year’s visit, participant Greta Young noted, “Having a better sense of who I am and how my story fits in New Zealand has already given me a stronger grounding and sense of self and made me into a more well-rounded leader with a clearer, more authentic voice.”
The Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to provide experiences and resources to help New Zealanders build their knowledge, skills, connections and confidence to thrive in Asia. Our core areas of work are in the arts, business and entrepreneurship, education, media, leadership, research, sports and Track II informal diplomacy.
For more information: www.asianz.org.nz
Media contact:
Rebecca Inoue-Palmer
Asia New Zealand Foundation director of communications and media
rpalmer@asianz.org.nz
027 226 8707