Discrimination is an interesting topic! Most people (I may be wrong, often am!), tend to think of discrimination as being racial, in the early days, migrant discrimination or religious?
In my early days, living in a multiracial country (New Zealand), there was obvious discrimination in that the Maori population were not invested in all the activities the Pakeha Kiwis were invested in such as, staying in school to achieve a higher qualification in order to get a job. The Maori kids rarely came to school, which necessitated the emergence of a truancy bus so they would attend school. Thankfully, this has changed enormously, and New Zealand is now a multi-racial and multicultural country immersed in Maori culture. This was really evident during the World Rugby Cup in 2011.
Moving on, I recently had a conversation with the manager of the nursing home in which my wife Karin is a resident, and, as an Indian Migrant he was telling me about racial discrimination by white Australians against the Indian migrant population.
This caused me to reflect on my journey as a Kiwi migrant arriving in Australia 43 years ago.
We arrived in Sydney and weren’t impressed by the energy and size, so caught a bus to Brisbane for a week. Not enjoying that we hired a car one way to Melbourne.
Once in Melbourne we organised accommodation in the city and I went about applying for jobs which my qualifications matched. My qualifications were quite significant in New Zealand, being…..
Although my wife walked into a health food shop and scored a job quickly, it took me 6 weeks to find a job at Mobil Oil with my degree - as an engineer (not my qualification!).
Other jobs I had applied for were: Military (told to go to the army as the RAAF wasn’t interested!!); Ansett Airlines, told that 200 young Australians were looking for these jobs and to go back to NZ on the Dole!!; Agricultural research, found the jobs were already allotted to Australian graduates.
I was told, "we don’t want you here on our dole" (many kiwis did come over and go on the dole in Australia and then go back to NZ on the Australian dole!!!)
Anyway, persistence being my second name, I applied for jobs where there was RISK and no one was applying, such as Sales Person in the newly developing IT Industry. This led to my selling Computers, Networks and Network Management contracts for over 37 years. Other roles taken to earn more money as a second job were in the home loan industry, where I worked part time doing home loans for applicants for 12 years and full time for 8 years. This kept my family fed, educated, and mortgage paid.
I was discriminated against, and I was a white anglo Kiwi!!! What do you have to do in this country to get ahead? I figured it out…..
Do what all migrants do… work your butt off doing jobs that Aussies don’t want to do. Send your kids to a good private school as the whole Melbourne scene was around “which school do your kids go to?”
Anyhow, I am now a citizen of 38 years and 100% an Aussie, speak the language and talk the talk.
“Whacko blue you bloody beaut!”…
James Davey
April 2024
In my early days, living in a multiracial country (New Zealand), there was obvious discrimination in that the Maori population were not invested in all the activities the Pakeha Kiwis were invested in such as, staying in school to achieve a higher qualification in order to get a job. The Maori kids rarely came to school, which necessitated the emergence of a truancy bus so they would attend school. Thankfully, this has changed enormously, and New Zealand is now a multi-racial and multicultural country immersed in Maori culture. This was really evident during the World Rugby Cup in 2011.
Moving on, I recently had a conversation with the manager of the nursing home in which my wife Karin is a resident, and, as an Indian Migrant he was telling me about racial discrimination by white Australians against the Indian migrant population.
This caused me to reflect on my journey as a Kiwi migrant arriving in Australia 43 years ago.
We arrived in Sydney and weren’t impressed by the energy and size, so caught a bus to Brisbane for a week. Not enjoying that we hired a car one way to Melbourne.
Once in Melbourne we organised accommodation in the city and I went about applying for jobs which my qualifications matched. My qualifications were quite significant in New Zealand, being…..
- Masters Degree in Agricultural Science
- Military pilot with more than 1000 hours experience in piston, Jet and twin-engine turbo prop
- Shearer, farm work experience
Although my wife walked into a health food shop and scored a job quickly, it took me 6 weeks to find a job at Mobil Oil with my degree - as an engineer (not my qualification!).
Other jobs I had applied for were: Military (told to go to the army as the RAAF wasn’t interested!!); Ansett Airlines, told that 200 young Australians were looking for these jobs and to go back to NZ on the Dole!!; Agricultural research, found the jobs were already allotted to Australian graduates.
I was told, "we don’t want you here on our dole" (many kiwis did come over and go on the dole in Australia and then go back to NZ on the Australian dole!!!)
Anyway, persistence being my second name, I applied for jobs where there was RISK and no one was applying, such as Sales Person in the newly developing IT Industry. This led to my selling Computers, Networks and Network Management contracts for over 37 years. Other roles taken to earn more money as a second job were in the home loan industry, where I worked part time doing home loans for applicants for 12 years and full time for 8 years. This kept my family fed, educated, and mortgage paid.
I was discriminated against, and I was a white anglo Kiwi!!! What do you have to do in this country to get ahead? I figured it out…..
Do what all migrants do… work your butt off doing jobs that Aussies don’t want to do. Send your kids to a good private school as the whole Melbourne scene was around “which school do your kids go to?”
Anyhow, I am now a citizen of 38 years and 100% an Aussie, speak the language and talk the talk.
“Whacko blue you bloody beaut!”…
James Davey
April 2024
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