‘Eliminate’ racism: Why New Zealand needs to stand up against abuse - Melissa Derby

Race Relations Commissioner Dr Melissa Derby says New Zealand should stand up to racism in all facets of life. Photo / Supplied

Opinion

Dr Melissa Derby, Race Relations Commissioner

THE FACTS

• Nikhil Ravishankar faced racist abuse after being appointed Air New Zealand CEO due to his Indian heritage.
• An Asian comedian was subjected to anti-Asian heckling during a performance.
• New Zealanders urged to treat others as they want to be treated and to call out racist behaviour.

Many of us will have experienced the elation that comes with landing a new job.

Considering how tough it can be to land a job at the moment, the joy we feel can be immense after preparing for an interview, scouring the relevant website for details that might give us an edge, and trying to guess the questions we might be asked.

When we get the good news, we have every reason to celebrate. Our hard work has paid off. Let the good times roll.

One job I would never have the courage to pursue is that of stand-up comedian. What, you might ask, does being a stand-up comedian or landing a new job, have to do with race relations?

Unfortunately, very recently, two people in our country – one who landed an incredible new role and the other who was brave enough to take the stage at a comedy event – were subjected to vile racist abuse.

Nikhil Ravishankar faced racist backlash after Air New Zealand confirmed he would be the airline's next chief executive. Photo / NZME

The first instance attracted widespread media attention.

Instead of being able to celebrate his incredible achievement as the newly appointed CEO of Air New Zealand, Nikhil Ravishankar was subjected to hateful and harmful racist rhetoric because of his Indian heritage.

I hope he celebrated with gusto, despite the haters.

The second instance of racism was captured on film, which showed anti-Asian heckling directed at a comedian of Asian heritage, while he was on stage.

Now, with the added reporting of the alleged appalling racist language from a Northland police officer to refer to a Māori youth, as Race Relations Commissioner, I feel compelled to speak up for those on the receiving end of racist rhetoric.

A CEO of Indian descent, an Asian comedian, and rangatahi Māori – they deserve better. We all deserve better.

At this point, I could detail the various pieces of legislation we have in this country that aim to protect us from such harm, like the Human Rights Act and the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.

A Northland police officer allegedly referred to a Māori youth in a highly-racist way. Photo / NZPA

The more we understand these important pieces of legislation, arguably the better off we will all be. However, in the meantime, is it enough to simply say ‘come on New Zealanders. Have you not heard of the Golden Rule?’

Now I am imagining my parents polishing their halos because a cornerstone lesson of my childhood has seemingly sunk in. “Treat others as you want to be treated” is a key value we share as New Zealanders. We cannot lose sight of it.

Allied to that, we all know that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, which plays a critical role in ensuring that other rights and freedoms we enjoy in New Zealand are protected.

Often (but not always) highly offensive and hurtful comments are within the limits of legality. The threshold for turning speech criminal is high for good reason.

However, there are areas of life where racist abuse is regulated. You can complain to the Human Rights Commission about racism at school, at work, and in many other contexts.

New Zealanders must take a hard look at what they do when they hear racist abuse, says the Race Relations Commissioner. Photo / 123RF

Whether racist behaviours are lawful or not though, just because we can say something, insofar as that it isn’t against the law to do so, does not mean we should say something.

All rights come with responsibilities, including the right to freedom of expression. We must choose and use our words responsibly. We must treat others as we want to be treated.

Would we want to be referred to in insulting terms by a police officer, or indeed by anybody? No.

Would we want to be on the receiving end of racially charged heckling while performing on stage, or indeed heckled because of our ethnicity anywhere? No.

Would we want to be subjected to hateful racist rhetoric when we were basking in the glory of a new job, or indeed at any time in our lives? No.

When we see racist behaviour or hear racist abuse, however casual or unintentional it may seem to be, we must not accept or normalise it. We must be upstanders, not bystanders and call out this behaviour when we can.

Racism is something we must all work to eliminate together.

Dr Melissa Derby is Race Relations Commissioner at Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission.

If you have experienced discrimination, including racial discrimination, you can contact the Commission for information, support, or to make a complaint at infoline@tikatangata.org.nz or call 0800 496 877, or go to our complaints form at www.tikatangata.org.nz