Jenny Lee: Extending the boundaries

My mixed ethnicity of Maori-Chinese nearly always draws a quizzical response.

Often people don't know whether to speak slowly (and for some reason, loudly) because they mistakenly think that I can't speak English, or whether to speak to me at all because I might be a "radical Maori".

While my cultural combo may not be as common as other shared ethnic identities in New Zealand, it is more the relentless stereotyping of Chinese and Maori that make it incomprehensible for people to consider that someone could be both.

Juxtaposed in opposition, racist stereotypes render Chinese as hardworking and Maori as lazy, Chinese as lacking rhythm and Maori as good singers, Chinese as pushy and Maori as relaxed and so forth.

These sorts of representations make it difficult for people to reconcile that someone could be of Maori-Chinese shared ethnicity.

It would be much more manageable if Maori-Chinese could decide just to be one or the other. But I choose to assert both my Chinese and Maori ethnic membership.

To display either ethnicity in New Zealand by merely greeting someone with "kia ora" or "ni hao", however, is a political act.

In a context that prefers that we keep to our cultural selves and cultural practices in the private domain such as families and own communities, and act as "New Zealanders" in the public domain of schools, media, justice, all ethnic minority groups struggle to have our respective values, beliefs, customs and culture accepted in society.

Despite the Treaty of Waitangi, Maori as indigenous people continue to fight for the legitimacy of Maori language, knowledge and cultural practices.

Being Maori-Chinese is not all doom and gloom. I've cherished growing up with a dual ethnic background rich in cultural activities centred on values such as family, hospitality, a strong work ethic and education.

My Chinese grandparents and Maori ancestors worked hard to create cultural safe havens for me to be Chinese and Maori.

I want to follow in their footsteps and extend the boundaries of the "spaces" we are limited to, so that we can participate fully in society as cultural beings, whether that be as Maori, as Chinese or as Maori-Chinese.

* Jenny Lee is Maori-Chinese and a speaker at the Going Bananas conference.