23 Oct “Other” Is an Easy Hook to Tear Someone Open With

Marianne Arthur is a 14-year-old pupil who lives in New Zealand. Her eloquent and insightful first piece published on this blog was a response to the Harvey Weinstein scandal, and how power corrupts. This time she turns her attention to another topical issue: immigration.

Written by Marianne Arthur,
with an introduction by Daniela Cavalletti

4 min read

Introduction

I’m the daughter of an Italian who left home at the age of 18; to travel through Europe and proudly prefect his trade. When my dad settled in Germany after falling in love, he was seen as a Gastarbeiter – one of the many foreign workers coming to Germany to ease the post-war labour shortage while escaping unemployment in their home country.

However, his stay was never planned.

From an early age, I have been aware of the joys – but also the lows – of being seen as “other”, or different from the norm. For my father, being a barely-grown-up foreigner in Germany was not always easy in the 1960s. And still years later in the 1980s, teenage-me was called derogatory names. Simply because my heritage made me “foreign” or different.

But it’s nothing compared to what today’s millions of refugees, migrants and immigrants encounter when they do not neatly fit into a country’s vision of itself.

“Other” is an easy hook to tear someone open with.

In her piece on immigration, 14-year-old Marianne reminds us not only of the richness that another culture can add to our own, but also that every immigrant is simply a fellow human being.

Here’s Marianne.

Being an Immigrant is Hard

Moving to another country is something that takes lots of courage. Whether it’s right next door or halfway across the world; no matter what, it will take long nights of thinking and hard decisions. Though when you do finally decide to move and enter your new country as a permanent resident, you are then an immigrant.

Migration Always Shaped Societies

Throughout New Zealand’s history, immigrating and migrating has been a major factor that has shaped today’s society. In the late 18th and early 19th century, New Zealand was seen as the most isolated country on earth.

However, the few people that managed to reach New Zealand had come through the Australian convict settlement. Nowadays, crossing the Tasman Sea is not a difficult task, as New Zealand has open migration access with Australia. Which means that there are very few barriers between New Zealanders and Australians who want to migrate across the Tasman.

Historians aren’t absolutely sure when the Polynesian Islanders arrived in New Zealand, though they believe it was most likely during the 13th century. They travelled by canoes, and used the ocean currents and weather systems to guide them. These immigrants are the ancestors of today’s Maoris. When they travelled that journey to New Zealand, they brought with them the culture and diversity that has helped shape today’s society in New Zealand.

And still to this day we uphold those traditions that they brought with them eight centuries ago.

Not Everybody Is Happy

In May 2017, Massey University surveyed the public on their thoughts about immigrants coming to New Zealand. Surprisingly, the results revealed that many people were unhappy with the number of immigrants entering.

Only 14 percent of survey respondents thought immigrants should be welcomed into New Zealand. However, the majority thought that they needed to “learn to do things the Kiwi way” and that we needed stricter control over the number of immigrants entering New Zealand.

Immigrants are Good for Our Country

In fact, though, immigrants tend to fill the jobs that New Zealanders typically do not want to do. Such as cleaning, childcare, coal mining and being a postman. Although these jobs may be very low paying, they are actually some of the most important jobs out there. And this is when immigrants are crucial to our society.

As they are newcomers to a country, a low paying job is the perfect thing to get them started on the rest of their lives. And therefore they fill in the gaps to not only kick start them on a new journey, but also to ensure stability and growth of unpopular but important careers.

I’m an Immigrant

Immigration is not an easy task – and never has been.

Almost a year ago, my mum, myself and my grandma all migrated from Australia to New Zealand. It was a tough decision but it was also a good one. Moving a three-hour plane ride away was hard enough. But it’s impossible to believe that so long ago people were immigrating and migrating far and wide with no form of technology at all.

Or that today millions of people have to risk their lives and completely leave everything important to them behind to be able to be safe in another country: their entire previous lives, homes, belongings, careers, cities, friends and family.

I have felt very welcomed into this country – and I hope every other immigrant and migrant gets the chance to feel the same.