We must speak out against racism

Friday, 13 August 2021

The problem of racism towards Pasifika within climate change.

OPINION: Let’s stop the denial. The shadow of racism is stretching across Aotearoa New Zealand, and it’s time to expose a powerful light on it before it becomes all-encompassing.

It isn’t new, but it seems those wielding it are growing in temerity. We need to deal with racism in all forms, although it will be challenging because of its deep and alarming history here.

First, a bit of history: A legal principle known as the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ was widely used as a justification to carry out the agenda of colonisation. Originating in Europe, it rationalised the idea that it was acceptable to dominate other cultures, religions and races, and to make sovereign claims over land and people. This was evident in an 1877 declaration by Chief Justice Sir James Prendergast that Te Tiriti o Waitangi was of no importance because he believed tangata whenua were savages incapable of signing a Treaty.

These imported ideas of superiority and race led to Māori being dispossessed of their lands and resources, thousands of Tiriti breaches, and legislation to weaken the position of tangata whenua. Measures such as the 1907 Tohunga Suppression Act were introduced, undermining Māori culture and wellbeing, and enabling disharmony and inequity to persist until now.

A large crowd awaits family and friends leaving court after the mosque gunman was sentenced. The March 15, 2019 attacks “underlined the dangers of allowing racist and extreme viewpoints to fester”, Meng Foon writes.

Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon talks to Radio Tarana's Vandhna Bhan about the launch of the 'Racism Is No Joke' campaign. (First published July 2020)

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'Give no voice to racism' is the slogan of a campaign launched by the Human Rights Commission late last year.

It’s had a flow-on effect for other communities who have become entangled in the mess left behind by the Doctrine of Discovery and the denigration of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Between 1879 and the 1940s, Chinese in New Zealand were targeted by dozens of race-based amendments, including a poll tax which the government apologised for in 2002. The recent apology to Pacific communities for the discriminatory Dawn Raids of the 1970s further acknowledges our racist history.

Those were State acts, but the March 15, 2019 attacks on Muslims in Christchurch also underlined the dangers of allowing racist and extreme viewpoints to fester. That deeply troubling underbelly of Aotearoa continues to exist, with research showing racism, particularly against Chinese and Māori, increased during the initial stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Most recently we have seen Māori academics abused on social media and threats against the lives of indigenous people and human rights defenders. A racially-charged diatribe was also left on the voicemail of a prominent Pasifika academic. Then, an Auckland Councillor of Samoan descent revealed he had received a death threat which led to police sweeping his home and office for explosives. The threat came after he raised concerns about the Police Ten 7 programme reinforcing negative stereotypes about Māori and Pasifika.

Now a dedicated movement has been set up, ‘The Manaaki Collective’, to combat hateful behaviour towards minority groups and offer support to victims who have felt the brunt of violent threats, racist remarks and the targeting of whānau.

The Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer recently said there had been “an unprecedented increase in racist rhetoric across social media by white supremacist organisations … inciting hate speech and violence against tangata whenua” and called for a taskforce to investigate.

It’s regrettable these types of discussions have to happen, and it’s clear that instances of racist behaviour need to be addressed urgently.

The call has been echoed by outside observers. Last year, AUT lecturer Dr Heather Came stated New Zealand was a racist country and the Government needed to act, saying “until we address the underbelly of racism and white supremacy… at any time it could happen again”, referring to the March 15 terror attacks.

Racist threats unhindered can lead to people being radicalised, resulting in extreme behaviour. Everyone has the right to be treated with respect and without fear of violence.

Four years ago, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recommended New Zealand’s government review its legislation to address racist hate speech and incitement to racial hatred. The committee also previously recommended the government develop a national action plan against racism.

Now, more than ever, a government plan is needed to address racism against communities who experience such discrimination. It is necessary as racism will not stop of its own accord.

Work is beginning in this space, with the Government reviewing hate speech laws. And, impending changes to our education curriculum will help promote understanding, creating an informed public able to pull conversations away from misinformation supporting extreme ideologies.

But the wheels of government are often slow and deliberate.

We all have the responsibility to foster inclusive communities that preserve dignity for all. We must speak out against racism. If you see or hear it, then you should report it. Report it to your employers, your teachers, community leaders, the Human Rights Commission, or police if the matter is serious enough. Call out racist behaviour.

We must stand up, not stand by.

Meng Foon is New Zealand’s Race Relations Commissioner