My second life: A survey of Chinese immigrants in New Zealand

Abstract or Summary

The purpose of this study was to identify the reasons for Chinese immigrants coming to New Zealand; the things that they enjoyed and disliked while they lived here and their future intentions. A face-to-face in-depth interview method with open-ended questions was used. A snow-ball sample of sixty was recruited. The main reason for Chinese immigrant respondent’s first coming to New Zealand was to study; the main reason for deciding to stay was because of the natural environment and friendly people. Minor racism was experienced by many respondents, and young Chinese professionals were planning to go back to China or move to other Western countries for better career opportunities or higher quality tertiary education. The findings are useful for potential Chinese immigrants’ decision making, also for government, social service agencies, and strategic planning for education institutes.