Minister welcomes more ethnic diversity

Ethnic Communities Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga has welcomed new statistics which show New Zealand will become more ethnically diverse in the future.

Figures released by Statistics New Zealand today show that across New Zealand, ethnic diversity is projected to increase over the next two decades.

“New Zealand prides itself on being a welcoming and ethnically harmonious country. We have a high standard of living and we offer a safe haven for those fleeing conflict elsewhere in the world.

“As Ethnic Communities Minister, it is pleasing to see that all of New Zealand can share the benefits of ethnic diversity, not just in our main centres,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

“We can learn so much when we interact with other ethnic communities and the mix of cultures, language and heritage adds to the rich cultural make-up of our society.”

The information is also useful for planning in areas such as education and health.

“It is important that as a truly multicultural society, the needs of our ethnic communities are reflected in our services,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

“For example, in recognition of our growing Asian communities, our government established a $10 million Asian Language Learning in Schools contestable fund to increase the provision of Asian languages in schools.”