Commission welcomes growing diversity

The Commission welcomes the release of census figures showing our Asian communities are the fastest growing ethnicity over the past decade, says Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy.

“The Asian population has almost doubled since 2001 and increased as a percentage of the total population by over 5 per cent. That makes it the fastest growing ethnic group over the past decade.

“The figures also show that Hindi is now our fourth most common language, reflecting that the Asian ethnicity is a broad grouping that takes in a wide range of communities.

“The census also confirms that Auckland is diversity central, with the largest Pacific population and nearly two-thirds of Asian people living in the region.

“This isn’t a new phenomenon. Our growing diversity is a part of the New Zealand story, building richer and more vibrant communities.

“In a world that is more interconnected than ever before, our diversity is a source of new opportunities and innovation. It gives us a wider talent pool, connections to new countries, international markets & networks.

“However, we need to actively support and nurture our diversity. The trend from the Commission’s annual surveys since 2001 show that Asians are consistently perceived to be the most discriminated group.

“That means we need initiatives that support successful settlement outcomes and opportunities to connect newcomers with host communities. We also need to ensure that our workplaces reflect the growing diversity.

“The future for New Zealand is going to be an ever more diverse society. New Zealand is a world leader in building harmonious communities, but we need to keep working to justify that reputation, says Dame Susan Devoy.

ENDS

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