My father was a race alien: Globalisation and immigration in
New Zealand Professor Michle Akoorie, WMS
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hthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uOUqW6liUQtp
://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uOUqW6liUQ Is one of these my
father???? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uOUqW6liUQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uOUqW6liUQ Michle E.M. Akoorie
2
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Outline of Presentation Who? Why? Identity Living two lives
Emotional Labour Shaping the future Michle E.M. Akoorie 3
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W.P Reeves Minister of Labour, 1895 I do not hesitate to say
that in my opinion the so- called Assyrian Hawker is as undesirable
a person as John Chinaman himself. They do not add to the wealth of
the country. They do not even produce wealth from the earth as the
Chinese do. They simply carry on a retail hawking trade. They do
not contribute to the revenue in the way that our traders
contribute. They do not lead sanitary lives. They are not a moral
people. They are not a civilized people, and in no sense are they a
desirable people. Michle E.M. Akoorie 4
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This is possibly Bir Singh Gill who came to NZ in 1890 and was
an itinerant herbalist in the King Country. He was unaccountably
described as an Assyrian Michle E.M. Akoorie 5
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My origins Grandfather Abraham Joseph Akoorie Maronite
Catholics originally from the Mountains of Lebanon name originally
Mahan Named Akoorie after village Akoura Emigrated to NZ in the
1880s -Lived in Christchurch Returned to the Lebanon 1901 to marry
suitable wife cousin six living children five boys, one girl all
except one came to NZ to live (including my father in 1935) some
passing through on way to the US or Mexico (Akoorie, 2007) Michle
E.M. Akoorie6
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My fathers passport (1935). Lebanese classified as race aliens.
1899 Asiatica Restriction Act to safeguard the racial purity of the
people of NZ Michle E.M. Akoorie 7
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Passport of my father Father (b. 1916) Passport and visa for NZ
(in French). Under 1920 Immigration Restriction Act Minister of
Customs vested with sole discretionary power to admit persons of
any other origin. British or Irish descent had free entry. Michle
E.M. Akoorie 8
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My Grandmother Labeibe and two sons, married at 16 had six
living children Michle E.M. Akoorie 9
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My grandfathers funeral in Tripoli, Lebanon 1948 Michle E.M.
Akoorie 10
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Grandfathers funeral leaving the family home (note Maronite
priest in foreground) Michle E.M. Akoorie 11
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Maronite Christian sect founded by St Maro (d. 407). Origins do
not go back beyond 7 th C. Since 1811 in communion with the Roman
Catholic Church Michle E.M. Akoorie 12
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BRIEF HISTORY OF LEBANON Lebanon a country rich in time but
poor in space Hitti (1962) Michle E.M. Akoorie 13
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P Phoenicia culturally descended from the Canaanites, occupied
coastal plain trade, manufacturing, wood, jewellery Michle E.M.
Akoorie 14
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Extent of Empire thrived until 332 B.C when Tyre (capital)
sacked by Alexander the Great (became part of the Greek world).
Phoenician alphabet borrowed by Greeks passed down into Western
cultural tradition Michle E.M. Akoorie 15
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Then came the CrusadesEight crusades from 11 th Century to 13
th Century. Failure to recover the Holy Land Michle E.M. Akoorie
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Crusaders greeting the locals and some stayed Michle E.M.
Akoorie 17
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Established by Othman end of 13 th C. Reached zenith under
Suleiman (mid 16 th C) dominated Eastern Mediterranean, powerful in
the 17 th C but by 19 th C became the sick man of Europe. Michle
E.M. Akoorie 18
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Borders of Modern Lebanon. Mountain village is where
grandfather came from. Moved to Tripoli where family was born.
Michle E.M. Akoorie 19
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The flag of the Lebanon the Cedar Tree. Ruled by the Ottoman
Empire, became a French mandate (1918) then independent after WWII.
Michle E.M. Akoorie 20
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Grape Harvest wine making was and still is a Lebanese tradition
Corban family (Greek Orthodox) brings it to NZ Michle E.M. Akoorie
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Shared love of traditional foods Kibbe the national dish of
Lebanon (lamb and cracked wheat with spices) cooked in oven Michle
E.M. Akoorie 24
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Certain Lebanese foods (hummus), tabbouleh, baba ghanoush and
pitta bread have become familiar in NZ and elsewhere Michle E.M.
Akoorie 25
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As have sweets such as baklava.made with filo pastry Michle
E.M. Akoorie 26
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Reasons for Emigration Why did the Lebanese family come to New
Zealand? Poverty, no work, famine (1914-18) political instability
Clan migration grandfathers contact with sister Offered employment
to family and assistance to come to New Zealand Motivations
altruistic and instrumental Michle E.M. Akoorie 27
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Parents married in 1942 at St Patricks, PN. Father a race alien
as France still occupied notify police of travel, not called up
Michle E.M. Akoorie 28
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One of many remittances sent by my father to his father in the
Lebanon Michle E.M. Akoorie 29
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Lived in Palmerston North father manages The State Theatre for
Amalgamated Theatres - socialising Michle E.M. Akoorie 30
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Auckland 1950s Father manages Century Theatre. Mother begins
first assimilation process in PN, leaves Catholic Church, enrols us
in Anglican Sunday School and State Schools in Auckland. Michle
E.M. Akoorie 31
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Four sessions at the Century, six days a week, followed by
managing the iconic Wintergarden ballroom on Friday and Saturday
nights.. Michle E.M. Akoorie 32
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Living two lives or a half of two lives 2 nd assimilation point
clash over going to University. Lebanese women traditionally cook,
marry and breed Edward Said: Cultural power organised through
disciplines such as history, anthropology, philology, were as
significant in the maintenance of colonial rule as the political,
economic and military polices that had dominated academic study In
our case the influence was towards European languages and history
rather than the Middle East (as Lebanon was a French mandate)
Prompted our own desire to leave New Zealand and live elsewhere.
For decades NZ a mono cultural nation Michle E.M. Akoorie 33
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NZ embraces globalisation & immigration Immigration
Restriction Act (1920) passed responsibility for discretionary
entry into NZ from persons of any other origin to Minister of
Customs NZ operated a de facto white NZ policy until the mid 1960s
(Apart from special interest groups such as group migration from
the Netherlands and special interest groups from the SW Pacific)
Stereotypical hostility of condemnatory judgement on any one who
was foreign prejudiced immigrant view of attitudes acquired in
England 1987 Act changed origin to skills, personal qualities, and
potential contribution to New Zealand economy and society. Replaced
by 2009 Act concern over two tier system wealthy individuals
bringing parents to New Zealand Michle E.M. Akoorie 34
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2013 census shows diversity of countries of birth Michle E.M.
Akoorie 35 Top 10 countries of birth of New Zealand residents, 2013
census[11] CountryNumber % New Zealand 2,980,82774.85 United
Kingdom [a]United Kingdom [a] 256,1646.43 China [b]China [b]
96,4412.42 India 67,1761.69 Australia 62,7121.57 South Africa
54,2791.36 Fiji 52,7551.32 Samoa 50,6581.27 Philippines 37,2990.94
South Korea 26,6040.67 1.Jump up^ Includes Channel Islands and Isle
of Man.Jump up^Channel IslandsIsle of Man 2.Jump up^ Includes Hong
Kong SAR and Macau SAR.Jump up^Hong Kong SARMacau SAR
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EMOTIONAL LABOUR, GLOBALISATION AND IMMIGRATION Results of a
study in which we used qualitative research (grounded theory) to
interview 25 immigrants in the skilled worker category Michle E.M.
Akoorie 36
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Globalisation, immigration and Emotional Labour Study of 25
immigrants in 1990s Hochschilds (1983) work on The
Commercialisation of Feeling Suggests management of feeling to
create a publicly observable facial and bodily display (p.7)
Enhancing, faking or supressing emotions to modify the emotional
expression - Michle E.M. Akoorie 37
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Manifestations of emotional labour Surface acting Deep acting
Hochschild stress of emotional labour Emotional dissonance
Controlling true feelings Presenting appropriate face Michle E.M.
Akoorie 38
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Immigrants landing in America hope, fear, dislocation, language
skills, learning different rules Michle E.M. Akoorie 39
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Results Language difficulties and communication Difficulties in
understanding local accent despite formal English qualifications
self doubt about my skills.. No Chinese friends, no information,
nothing about the new area. No one to talk to for more than one
month loneliness After 20 years there are still occasions when I
think it is my language I have been called abrupt at work where it
is just my nature with the English Michle E.M. Akoorie 40
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Polish refugees arriving in New Zealand Michle E.M. Akoorie
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Results Theme of racismNigerian participant Many New Zealanders
perceive that Africa has been credited with the mysterious,
slavery, people being docile, lack of technology, we are seen as
backward Finding accommodation Kiwis dont like Asians when I ask if
I can live here they say oh do you want to live here? I said yes
and they said no we have another party now Michle E.M. Akoorie
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Flow on effects Racism is expressed mildly flow-on effect anger
and rejection long after the event triggered by other events Two
participants stated that New Zealand does not need migrants
government perhaps but not in the real world. New Zealanders are
afraid of immigrants, or we are a little more direct tension is
building up Michle E.M. Akoorie 43
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Conclusions of study Participants continually compared their
feelings, values, needs and aspirations with their perceptions of
the environment in their home nation Range of complex
considerations Drew on skill set as a platform to move to a nation
which could fulfil these desires Michle E.M. Akoorie 44
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Emotional connectedness and dissonance Most participants
experience a wide range of feelings including emotional
connectedness, mixed emotions and deepening emotional dissonance
over time Emotional connectedness feeling accepted, settling into
NZ society and finding employment equivalent to their skill set
Active involvement in communities of coping friendship networks,
Church activities and social clubs Michle E.M. Akoorie 45
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Emotional connectedness and dissonance Reconciling feelings in
several ways First, many focused on wider motivations and goals
better lifestyle, safer community, less competition for children,
less racism Second, cognitive coping strategies, reconceptualised
their emotional dissonance focused on favourable aspects of what
could be negative perceptions (i.e. education) Third, changing
their goals in relation to work Michle E.M. Akoorie 46
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Affective effects Impact of language skills (unanticipated
since they met the skilled language requirements) Take charge of
improving their communication skills Rationalising why a NZ
employer might not hire them (reference in home country, trust)
Surface acting their inadequacy and doubt remained intact Deep
acting as a strategy change how they feel about the situation
situation is not of their own making. What is in question is their
foreignness. Removal? Retrain? Escape Michle E.M. Akoorie 47
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Is going home an option? My two uncles Michel and Tony go back
to Lebanon to find the family village. They never got there and I
think they were not disappointed! Michle E.M. Akoorie 48
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Conclusion Emotion plays powerful rule in decision to emigrate
Mixed emotions experienced in settling in; drew on deeper
motivations and goals to cope with those aspects of live causing
emotional dissonance Individualised coping strategies of retraining
have pragmatic considerations Government policy of addressing skill
shortages not being achieved skills not utilised Michle E.M.
Akoorie 49
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Conclusion Controversially, we suggest that at a community
level, New Zealanders may not be able to integrate migrants in
their daily lives to the extent that would enable government
objectives to be met. Migrants are caught at the intersection of
government objectives and community ability and willingness to
embrace migration It is they who pay for the promise of a better
life, both in terms of the financial and emotional costs involved
in migrating Michle E.M. Akoorie 50
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Concluding remarks We are all immigrants a desire to build a
better life Earlier, smaller groups of non-European immigrants
pepper potted. Assimilation through marrying out Larger groups of
non-European skilled immigrants more difficult to integrate
Communication, integration and acceptance more likely with second
generation through education Immigrants bring network resources,
trade links, set up businesses, entrepreneurial skills Michle E.M.
Akoorie 51