British Migration Vs Pacific Migration

In Inquiry we compared the migration of two groups that have had a significant impact on New Zealand culture and identity. 

From long ago people have been migrating to Aotearoa, New Zealand. It is believed Maori were the first people to migrate to Aotearoa, New Zealand over a thousand years ago. Throughout the years many different ethnic groups began to arrive on New Zealand shores. Two groups that have had a big impact on New Zealand culture and identity are the British and the Pacific Islanders. The British and Pacific Islanders share many similarities in their history of migrating to Aotearoa, New Zealand. Two time periods that saw large numbers of people arrive were the 1800s for the British and the 1960s for Pacific people.

Arrived by Sea - Watchmen

Both the British and Pacific people arrived to Aotearoa by sea. During the 1800s the British arrived on large sail boats. The journey took over 100 days in cramped conditions, the seas were rough and lots of people came down with illnesses. During the 1960s the Pacific people came off the ‘banana boats’ or the flying boats at Hobsonville. The journey taken by the British was much more difficult than for those in the Pacific. The journey was much longer, the food would have been worse having to be preserved in salt to last the long journey and the chance of disease spreading would have been much greater due to the cramped living conditions.

Different groups of people - Watchmen

Both regions brought with them different groups of people. British migrants were made up of mostly the English and Scottish, with fewer Irish and Welsh. The Pacific Island people were represented by Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands and others. The British would have had an easier time settling into Aotearoa as they would have shared a common language (English) with others within their immigrant group. However there are lots of different languages spoken in the Pacific. Even though you may have come from the same region of the world didn’t mean you were able to communicate with each other.

Skills - X-Force  

Arriving in Aotearoa both migrant groups brought important skills. The British people had pre-industrial skills in agriculture, and were builders, blacksmiths and coopers (a maker or repairer of casks and barrels). The Pacific Islanders women brought domestic skills suited to becoming cleaners and cooks. The Pacific men brought skills to the forestry industry. The skills needed today in Aotearoa are very different from those needed in the 1800s and 1960s, the skills New Zealand needs today are those in business, engineering and information technology.       

Culture - Fantastic Four

Both immigrant groups brought their own languages, foods, drinks and cultural traditions to Aotearoa. The British brought sports such as rugby and cricket and also the public school system. On the other hand the Pacific Islanders brought their religious beliefs to Aotearoa by building churches such as the Pacific Islanders Congregational Church. The British traditions have had longer to take hold in New Zealand and become part of New Zealand culture, for example rugby is the country’s most popular game with the All Black’s being considered the world’s best.

Reasons for migrating - Green Lantern Corps

Both migrant groups had a reason for coming to New Zealand. The British people came for better education, to become free from poverty and a better climate. In Britain the class system was very unfair. This is because in Britain if you were poor you would stay in a lower class, and if you were rich than you were considered a higher class of person. Britain’s climate was cold and wet meaning it was difficult to grow crops and become self sufficient. Pacific people came to New Zealand looking for opportunities to work and to become well educated. Pacific people also came to Aotearoa to be reunited with family and friends. In the Pacific Islands it was very difficult to get into a good school. Pacific people came to New Zealand to get good jobs and earn more income. They also came to join their family and friends that had already arrived.  

Conclusion - Overall both migrant groups have had a significant impact on New Zealand culture and identity. Every year large numbers of British and Pacific Island people continue to arrive in Aotearoa. The reasons for migrating to New Zealand remain much the same as in the past, namely a good education, job opportunities and quality of life. In the future however we believe that the British and Pacific will not be the predominant groups of migrants to New Zealand, but rather it will be people from Asia. People are leaving Asia due to the overpopulation, there being less competition in New Zealand for jobs and less pollution. Future New Zealand will be more culturally diverse and take on more of the traditions of Asia such as the food, religious celebrations and clothes

.We believe our comparison is extended abstract because we found several similarities and differences. We used SOLO language such as however, on the other hand and both. We linked our ideas to modern day New Zealand and looked at the information in a different way to make a prediction about the future.