The notion of everyone getting a fair go is a deep-rooted principle of New Zealand society. This perhaps arose from New Zealand’s migrant origins in seeking a better life, and certainly finding early expression in the Treaty of Waitangi’s promise of an equal entitlement to the rights and privileges of British subjects. But do all New Zealanders, regardless of the colour of their skin, ethnicity or national origin, get the same opportunity for good health, a good education, decent work and an adequate standard of living? The figures clearly say no, and the question to ask is what are the barriers to people of different ethnicities and cultures getting the same start in life, having the same opportunities, and collectively having broadly similar outcomes.
There can only be two reasons for the kinds of inequalities experienced in New Zealand: either people of different ethnicities have different capabilities (which is not supported by the evidence), or people of some ethnicities face greater barriers than others to the achievement of good health, good education, decent work and an adequate standard of living. The first reflects a “deficit theory”, i.e. that inequality is somehow the fault or in the nature of those who experience disadvantage. The second presents a “social model”, which leads us to consider what kinds of barriers lead to the persistence of inequalities between ethnic groups.
Given that there have been a myriad of programmes to address ethnic inequalities without significant success, this paper asks whether the systems, processes and practices of public agencies are themselves responsible. There is local, as well as “international” evidence that this is indeed the case, whether it is called structural discrimination, systemic discrimination or institutional racism.
This paper looks at some of the evidence, as well as some of the initiatives for systemic change that appear to be working.
Purpose
This project seeks to identify structural barriers to ethnic equality through a process of research and engagement with public service agencies, researchers,
and affected groups and individuals. A key purpose is to encourage discussion about successful or promising initiatives that are intended to address inequalities
by creating systemic change. A secondary aim is to facilitate discussion between government agencies to further develop ideas, share best practices and promote
continued awareness and conversation about their respective efforts to address this issue. Ultimately, the project aims to recognise promising initiatives and
prompt further sustainable systemic change.