The Other Auckland
Did you know that Auckland has the largest population of Pacific Islanders of any city in the world? When I arrived in Nov., I asked several white kiwis if I could find a kava bar. "maybe in South Auckland?" was always the response. South Auckland is also where the occasional violent crime is committed in this town (as reported on NZ National Radio and the newspaper).
I went and checked it out last night by going to (what else?) a shopping mall. Wow, hat an interesting mix of people! It was totally pan-Asian Pacific, with Fijians, Samoans, Tongans, New Caledonians, Indonesians, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Thai, Indian, Burmese, and a few farther-flung ethnicities, such as African and Turkish. And, of course, many Maori heads. It wasn't gangster'd out; seemed to me it was mostly lots of families, and lots of little kids.
I was joking around with some cute kid who's ethnicity was totally baffling to me. He had handsome, almost 'mestizo"/anglo features, with red-brown coloring and spoke a language I had never heard. I asked his dad where they were from: Tahiti. So cool. [Don't they speak French in Tahiti? The kid was speaking a tongue that sounded nothing I had ever heard.]
Most of NZ is still pretty darn white. But you see "pioneer" immigrants in all the little towns. I believe NZ has a pretty tough immigration policy. But it's only a matter of time before NZ diversifies, I think. It's gotta be one of the most attractive places to start a new life. Plus, kiwis are so inherently open-minded, I imagine that foreigners are treated with respect and embraced in these communities.
I tell ya, Australiasia is up-and-coming. (Don't forget that they got oil and gas up the kazoo down here.)
I should also add that Auck has the best Chinese food I've ever tasted.
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