Posted on 11/07/2004 4:25:21 PM PST by NZerFromHK
Anti-American feeling was one of the reasons behind the shock departure of the former dean of Wellington's Anglican cathedral.
Speaking from the United States, Douglas Sparks said Kiwi kids taunted his children for being Americans and told them they hoped Iraqis would kill American soldiers.
"We realised six-year-old children don't come up with those kinds of statements on their own. They have to have heard it from some other adult or influential person in their lives.
"My daughter came home from school and said, `I am so upset about what George Bush has done to my life'."
Despite receiving an anonymous note saying "Go home Yankee" from a disgruntled parishioner soon after he started the job in February 2003, Dr Sparks and his family stayed 18 months before homesickness and culture shock took their toll.
The generation who remembered World War II and the Korean War seemed to see New Zealand's ties with the US differently from those whose views were formed at the time of the Lange government's antinuclear stance, former US president Ronald Reagan's administration and now, the war in Iraq, he said.
"I wouldn't say all New Zealanders are anti-American. There were people who had genuinely diverse opinions about the United States and Great Britain vis-a-vis Iraq.
AdvertisementAdvertisement"But being an American, being a point person in that context at that point in time, was detrimental to our family."
Dr Sparks now leads a Minnesota congregation.
He and his family also have fond memories of their time in New Zealand and keep up with the news through the Internet, including National Party leader Don Brash's Orewa race speech.
"I also want to say that part of the anti-American process is somehow connected to the issue of identity," Dr Sparks said.
"What does it mean to be a New Zealander?
"To that extent it's not only Americans. I think the Aussies and Poms have the same kind of experience to a lesser degree."
Dr Sparks was replaced by Frank Nelson as dean of Wellington's Anglican cathedral.
I was having e-mail conversations with a woman in Canada and I referred to her as a "Canuck" in one of the e-mails. Boy did she hit the roof! "You Americans are this and that and this and that!" I was really taken aback. I really chalk most of it up to jealousy. Most Americans, I think, view Canadians as those generally nice people living to the North" and don't otherwise give it much thought. Many of them, however, seem to have a good deal of resentment for us.
I will give them credit, however, for having far better Olympic coverage than either CBS or NBC!
Actually it still isn't enough for the Kiwi leftists. Because he is born an American being Michael Moore still qualifies him as to be bashed by Kiwi lefties.
Maybe we can encourage more of our liberals to emigrate to New Zealand?
I live in NZ as a migrant to this country. From time to time there is always a blow against (esp non white) migrants here - there will be calls of eating fish and chips intead of sushi, watch and play rugby and ditch badminton.
If you are not British/Irish descent European or Maori (and partially Pacific Islanders), the chance is that you will have confronted some prejudice at one point. New Zealand's national identity is very wrapped along racial and (British cultural) terms: you are at the most inside if you are British/Irish or Maori, the second circle are those with British colonial backgrounds like Indians, Pacific Islanders, Singaporean Chinese, and finally on the outside are those born in places that had no ties with Britain, such a Italians, Koreans, etc.
One of the ways to enrage native born Kiwis is to say how so-and-so is done far better at the country of your birth than in NZ, and the surest way to et them up in rage is to praise third countries, particularly the United States.
No, being self-loathing anti-American American isn't enough for these lefties. They will see door shut in front of them, and the door will be shut by Kiwi lefties.
I agree. New Zealanders, it appears, also lack a sense of humor..
I actually had a Kiwi tell me New Zealanders were Aussies with no sense of humor.
No offence taken :). I'm in the second circle - former Hong Kong Chinese. NZ is generally more tolerant to Chinese migrants from the Commonwealth than non-Commonwealth countries. (I notice it is considerably more difficult for mainland Chinese and Taiwanese to assimilate into NZ than HK Chinese or Singaporeans)
New Zealand is Australia's 'Canada'....
Doesn't seem that they are nearly as tolerant as they think.
It is funny that in this country it is generally the so-called-moderates and centre-left that are more prejudiced than conservatives (excepting the powerful paleocons). So much for the "liberals are more enlightened than the conservatives" left-talk.
Liberals are truly the most intolerant, hateful, arrogant, nasty people I have ever had the misfortune of coming into contact with.
I think it is important to raise kids so they understand that it really doesn't matter what names other kids call them, as long as they make sure the other kid is crying when their mother finds them.
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