International Socialists

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, Winston Peters is back. Spewing the same racist filth, fear and lies that have saved NZ First time and again, Peters is trying to create a space for himself in the political scene by bringing up the "issue" of immigration.
And, what's worse, Winston says it - Labour does it. Only days after Peters started his latest vile and racist campaign of abuse against Asians, Labour's Lianne Dalziel announced a new government policy that would see migrants without university level English refused entry. This policy is a blatant capitulation to Peters' campaign, and it is based on exactly the same false logic which drives NZ First. Dougal McNeill debunks NZ First's claims, and argues that all immigration controls are racist.

Are Asians "flooding" the country?

No. Pure and simple.

The most recent statistics available (see www.dol.govt.nz for proof) show that Chinese and Indians make up only a third of all arrivals to New Zealand. 3,512 Chinese arrived between 1 July and 16 November this year - less than the 4,160 whites from South Africa and Great Britain who arrived in the same period. Peters claims to be trying to get a debate started around "the facts" - this is a lie. His rhetoric of "the Balkanisation of our country" and immigrants "mainly from the third world" show that his campaign has far more to do with skin colour than immigration itself.

It is in fact nothing whatsoever to do with "immigration" - it is anti-Asian racism.

Besides, even if there were a high level of immigration into New Zealand (as happened after World War II when big business was desperate for cheap labour) this wouldn't mean anything bad for New Zealand workers. Study after study has shown that increased levels of immigration either increase employment or have no effect on employment levels. The idea that migrants are "stealing" jobs off "us" is just a cheap excuse from our rulers to try and turn attention away from their own profit-hungry cuts to job numbers.

When unemployment was at its lowest in NZ huge numbers of workers from Polynesian countries moved here in search of better pay and chances, at no harm to the job prospects of workers already here. It's the squeeze that's gone on profits at the collapse of the long post-war boom, and the willingness of employers to cut jobs whatever the cost, that has caused unemployment – not new migrants. And it was only with the squeeze of profits that the infamous dawn raids on Pacific Island homes in the 1970s began, and the anti-immigrant racism of Peters’ hero Muldoon swung in.

The idea that migrants are flooding the country and stealing jobs is not a new one – the newspapers have been full of it every time it suits their owners. And, for as long as this system has existed, the bosses have been able to take their wealth and capital around the world as they choose. Workers should be able to do the same. Cash is always welcome – notice how quick Labour was to point out its changes wouldn’t affect business migrants as badly – but people with pressing humanitarian and social needs are not.

But surely immigrants should take on board "our" culture when they arrive?

"Become real New Zealanders" Peters told migrants in his speech to NZ First’s conference. But what is a "Real New Zealander"? Is NZ First calling for all new arrivals to be able to speak Te Reo Mäori, the language of Aotearoa’s tangata whenua, to university level? Is it calling for new arrivals to be familiar with the heritage of Chinese people, many of whom have families who settled in New Zealand during the 1860s gold rush? Or the Irish who fled their country in poverty?

The answer, of course, is no. What NZ First mean by "real New Zealanders" is a fantastic illusion of a monocultural English New Zealand that never existed in the first place. This idea of "our" culture is simply a cover for the kind of anti-Asian environment Peters is trying to create.

Päkehä workers have nothing to fear from Asian immigrants, and nothing to gain from defending "their" culture. It is through collective struggle of issues common to us all – better pay, safe conditions, child care and so on – that workers of all cultures can share experiences and strength. We have more in common with our Taiwanese and Indian co-workers than we do with greedy scumbag New Zealand bosses like Doug Myers or overpaid politicians like Peters.

But surely it’s good to open the immigration debate?

Some mainstream sources, while opposing Peters’ arguments, say that it is necessary to have "the immigration debate." While sounding reasonable, this position in fact has already surrendered to the worst racism of NZ First’s non-arguments. An issue requires substantial and conflicting interests, opinions and facts to rationally discuss and debate. There is no immigration issue to speak of!

As already noted, numerous academic studies have proved immigration does not damage jobs. It’s a sick joke to read mainly Päkehä politicians and journalists talking about the future of "our" nation being changed by Asians – after all, New Zealand is made up entirely of the descendants of migrants. And this is a country based on the systematic theft of Mäori land by the rulers of those new migrants.

Labour has gone one step further than welcoming the "debate," and has followed Peters through with his racist demands. This capitulation will not stop NZ First’s campaign; rather, it will make the racists stronger and more confident. As Labour does nothing to improve the lives of working people Peters’ scapegoating can, for a minority, appeal as a vent for their frustration and anger. By crumbling so easily to Peters’ pressure, the government has signalled quite clearly that any hopes workers, immigrants or others might have in them will be disappointed each and every time the Right tries to steal their rhetorical thunder.

So how do we fight against Peters?

"Education, that’s the answer" – this is the line you hear from many liberals, and recently the Pan Asian Congress has been founded, with prominent lawyer Mai Chen as its spokesperson, to champion migration issues. Peters, for the Congress, is "stirring up racism" and people need to be educated out of it.

Although the members of the Congress may be sincere anti-racists, and may have very good intentions, the idea that "education" is the solution is badly mistaken, and potentially fatal to any anti-racist movement. Working people in NZ or anywhere else are not naturally racist, with Peters "stirring up" a sentiment they all feel. Indeed, the most recent polling by TVNZ showed a clear majority of people had no problem with the level of immigration, or with the number of Asians in the country.

Peters is creating racism, he is not simply stirring it up. He is targeting a group, smearing them with lurid tales of victims of "Asian crime…terrified into silence" (all quotes are from NZ First’s website) and trying to create a situation where the problems of the country are identified with this group. We don’t need to educate people out of this, we need to organise to fight it!

The Pan Asian Congress aims to be "non-political," with the Governor-General as its sponsor and Helen Clark indicating her support. But Clark showed how much her support is worth when her government decided to try and implement exactly the kind of anti-Asian policy Peters wants. We need to build an anti-racist, pro-immigration movement that tackles this threat in a thoroughly political, combative way.

When Peters targets migrants, we need to target the company heads and bosses with their obscene salaries. When Peters blames Asians for congested roads and inadequate health services we need to point out government cuts in spending and underfunding. We need to make it obvious to our friends, workmates, family and flatmates that immigrants are far more likely to be our fellow workers, students and unemployed than they are to be wealthy mansion owners. Their fights are our fights.

Peters will not be stopped by "education," and the Labour government will feel free to carry through its racist immigration reforms while pretending to support the Congress. But we can stop them. To do so, we need to build a movement that actively fights both these proposed rule changes and NZ First, tying both fights into the broader struggle for better conditions in Aotearoa. We need to build vocal, visible and broad rallies of migrants and non-migrants to protest NZ First’s racism and, if necessary, to stop them spreading their anti-Asian rubbish.

By making our opposition visible we can show to other workers and students that there are people who see through these lies and who will fight it. This can build the confidence of migrants who have been the targets of the kind of racist abuse and assaults Peters’ hysteria promotes, and can make it clear to them and to Peters and his supporters that we’re serious about fighting racist bigots.

A world without borders

There is only one race – the human race. We began emigrating from Africa 100,000 years ago and have been wandering the earth ever since. The profit motive fully conquered the world only in the last 200 years. Most modern borders were created even more recently. The borders that welcome money but exclude human beings are not eternal. In the story of our species they have only appeared in the last five seconds – and in the past they have often been transcended by revolutions, political movements and people without corporate credit cards.

We oppose all immigration controls as racist and hypocritical. The capital of the bosses has always been free to go where it likes, so should we. People who are prepared to make the massively difficult emotional, financial and physical step of leaving their home, family and loved ones for a new land are clearly making a major commitment. We should welcome them as fellow workers who can enrich our experiences, our lives and the collective strength we have as a class.

It is an outrage that we live in a world where human life and need are dictated to by the greed and corporate needs of a few, a world where refugees are refused shelter or are locked in concentration camps. Our message is Asians are welcome – racists are not. Together, we can build a movement across nation and identity to fight the system that breeds the racism, oppression and exploitation of us all.