According to the New Zealand Chinese Herald A report from Massey University, a New Zealand institution of education and research, "BambooNetworks: Chinese Employers and Employees in Auckland" (竹网：中国雇主和雇员 inAuckland), shows the gap between expectations and reality faced by migrants from mainland China.
Researcher Professor Paul Spoonley said, "Many Chinese immigrants underestimate the difficulties of immigration and find that they have to work harder on arrival here than they did in China."
About 40% of business start-ups are in the restaurant industry
The researchers interviewed 20 Chinese employees and 20 employers who had settled here. They were asked questions about their hopes and dreams before they arrived in New Zealand, their leisure activities, neighborhood involvement, retirement plans, home and family, and experiences of discrimination. "Migrating and settling in New Zealand was more difficult than many people originally thought. They have had to reposition themselves and work hard for a decent income," Professor Spoonley said.
According to the report, respondents described their life in China - with plenty of social activities and normal working hours - but their newcomer life as "hard work", "longer hours ", "quieter social life", and "increased frustration and disappointment related to business and careers".Prof. Spoonley said that immigrants struggle to find employment, and many start businesses to "buy their own employment", with around 40% of start-ups in the restaurant industry.
One immigrant who was a company manager in China said in the research, "My life in New Zealand was more stressful than in China." He now runs a food company. "In order to take care of the business, I namely do manual labor and management work. Everything I have to do. I have no personal life at all, only work." Some described their lack of socialization and recreation as a source of loneliness and isolation, while others said they lived a "simple" or "peaceful" life.
Language is the main problem
The report shows that Chinese immigrants rely on a network of Chinese connections to seek employment, get advice and help with settlement issues. "Their non-Chinese networks, both professionally and socially, are limited and few of them know many new people." The report said Chinese immigrants did not feel welcome and did not see much benefit in joining local professional groups or business associations.
Katherine Li, a Chinese migrant who came to settle in New Zealand in 2008, said the only jobs she could get in Auckland were in Chinese restaurants and cafes.
Language is a problem for most migrants. Almost three-quarters of employers said they found communicating in English to be a major barrier to the growth of local business. Most employees also said their jobs did not use their professional skills. However, almost all New Zealand-trained people find that good English helps improve employment opportunities and expand local networks.
On the positive side, respondents said they liked the fact that Auckland was less crowded, had a less polluted environment, and could enjoy more personal freedom and opportunities than they had in China.
The report is part of a comprehensive research project on immigration. The project will examine the migration experience in New Zealand of each of the five main countries of origin of migrants - the UK, China, India, South Korea and South Africa. This report is the first part of this project.