Branch newsletters: Wellington
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JUNE

NEXT BRANCH MEETING
Sunday, 22 June 2008 at 2.30 pm Connolly Hall Guildford Tce, off Hill Street, Thorndon Wellington
Dr Manying Ip Associate Professor, School of Asian Studies, University of Auckland
Will speak on "Writing about Chinese, Asians & 'Others': a Journey with Manying Ip"
Professor Ip will talk about her journey as a researcher and writer during New Zealand's social transformation of the past twenty years.

Manying Ip came to New Zealand in 1974 from Hong Kong where her family lived for five generations. With a strong classical Chinese education at home and a Hong Kong colonial English education at school, she grew up aware of cross-cultural challenges. Her interest in Maori-Chinese interactions started from the mid 1980s while interviewing members of pioneering Chinese families, and writing about Chinese identity here. She is the author of several books, book chapters and journal articles on Chinese in New Zealand and recent Asian immigration.

Manying was awarded a Suffrage Centennial Medal in 1993 and was created an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. In 2004 she co-directed New Faces Old Fears, a documentary exploring racism, multiculturalism and social cohesion in New Zealand. Her latest book in 2008 is Being Maori-Chinese: Mixed Identities, which examines the interactions between indigenous and immigrant New Zealanders.

LAST MEETING
Report by Sheryn Elborn who made the vote of thanks.
Dave Bromwich gave a very informative presentation about his work with co-operatives in Gansu province. He outlined the background to the establishment of co-operatives, and then talked about new projects being undertaken.

Dave described a co-operative as a group of people who come together to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs. He emphasised that such co-operatives were democratically organised. Membership of co-operatives is voluntary and is governed by a set of values that all members sign up to. Such values include self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity, with the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

Dave outlined the plans they have to extend co-operatives to all of Zhangye. They want to build the capacity of the co-operative training centre, to train trainers from counties so they can train others in four counties of Zhangye district, and thus assist in the establishment of co-operatives in those counties. The sum 264,000 rmb is required for this project, or NZ$47,000. Previous projects have successfully applied for funds from NZ Government under MFAT NZAID Koha fund, which may subsidise 4:1 for funds raised. This budget needs about $9,500 from NZCFS to get the 4:1 subsidy to achieve the target total of $47,000.

Shandan Bailie School has recently built a new classroom block, which includes a training room that will hold 200 people. To equip this training centre with technology and furniture, they are seeking contributions to cover the 8,500 yuan that was borrowed. This expenditure cannot attract a subsidy from the above funds.

MEETING DATES FOR REST OF 2008
June 22, Sunday, 2.30 pm. Speaker: Dr Manying Ip.
July 20, Sunday, 2.30 pm. Speaker: Mr Dave Feickert "The Chinese coal industry, its impact on miners' health and safety and the global climate - some solutions".
August 20, Wednesday, 5.45 pm.
September 28, Sunday, China National Day Banquet. Speaker: Mr Tay Wilson, Hon IOC member.
October 29, Wednesday, 5.45 pm. Speaker: Dr Tim Beal, Victoria University of Wellington - "China and North Korea".
December 3, Wednesday, 5.45 pm. Christmas meeting. Speaker: Mr Eric Livingstone, National President.

SICHUAN EARTHQUAKE APPEAL
At its conference meeting the National Executive decided that all branch funds for the victims of the earthquake will be channelled through National Executive and Projects Committee and used specifically. The aim is to target the period of community reconstruction, or rehabilitation phase. The capacity within China to deal with immediate disaster relief and the current media attention, are eliciting strong responses from many sources. In the following period when the immediacy of public sympathy will have diminished, massive work will be required to assist people and communities to pick up the pieces and re-establish their lives. It is in this phase where NZCFS has very good experience through projects undertaken in the last several years. Based on successful application for previous projects, it is expected that top ups of 4:1 for our contributions may be achieved through NZAID Koha and other funds.

The response time for this work will be ongoing as from now. It is hoped to have a focused project(s) in targeted areas implemented within months. Work will proceed via contacts already established in the area, and in project work. Assistance will be provided to help rehabilitate one or two rural communities.

Donations can be sent directly to the National Treasurer Royden Smith, 2/10 Ngaio Street, Nelson, 7011. Please make cheques out to NZ China Friendship Society, and write Earthquake Appeal on the back. If a receipt is required, please also write your address on the back and a receipt will be sent. Donations can also be deposited into the special Earthquake Appeal Account No 03 0558 0130306 001 at Westpac. Alternatively, a donation box will be available at the 22 June meeting.

The NZCFS work will be managed by Dave Bromwich and Sally Russell whose work on NZCFS projects is totally voluntary. They do not use these funds to cover their expenses. All donations to the earthquake appeal will be used in China for the beneficiaries. Wellington branch will send a donation including proceeds from the raffle and donations received at the last branch meeting on 27 May and any further donation received on 22 June.

Over 30 members took part in a combined Wellington Chinese community's fundraising dinner on 28 May which raised about $12,500, going to NZ Red Cross. Members also attended the Seyip Association dinner on 8 June. Money raised (expected to be around $13,000) will be sent via the Embassy to China Red Cross.

MANDARIN CORNER - Saturdays 3.15-4.15 pm at Victoria University, 22 Kelburn Parade, Room 104. (Jointly with the Chinese Language Association, Wellington Branch.)
Gold coin appreciated. Last session of term 2 is July 5. Term 3 starts July 26.

CHINESE FEATURE FILM - Wednesday, 11 June at 7.30pm at Committee Room No 1, Wellington City Council, 101 Wakefield St. (Please note that door closes at 7.45 pm.) Chinese Language Association, Wellington Branch.
Dance Without Music (Meiyou yinyue zhaoyang tiaowu) In 1995 some schools in Beijing began to enrol students from poor families free of charge. These students are an enormous inspiration because of their hard work, diligence and self-respect. The film tells the moving story of one such class: of the bonding which took place between them and of how, despite limited resources, they prepared to enter an inter-school singing contest. Director: Li Jixian; starring Fu Lei, Zheng You, Wu Xiaoliang, Li Wei, Li Kechun. DVD 80 minutes; in Modern Standard Chinese, with English subtitles.

SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR 2008
Please renew if you have not already done so.

NEW MEMBERS
Warm welcome to Margreet Bos.

MAY

NEXT BRANCH MEETING
Tuesday, 27 May 2008 at 5.45 pm Connolly Hall Guildford Tce, off Hill Street, Thorndon, Wellington.
Mr Dave Bromwich Will speak on "Rural Community Development in Shandan and Gansu"
Dave has been on the NZCFS executive for 7 years, where he looks after the Shandan Baillie School connection. He is especially associated with the legacy of Rewi Alley. Dave works in China four months every year, largely on development projects including the NZCFS projects. At Gungho he is an executive member of the International Committee for Chinese Industrial Co-operatives. Dave will talk about NZCFS projects in Shandan and Gansu in rural community development with a focus on establishing co-operatives. He will discuss the legacy of Rewi Alley in this work, within the context of contemporary China.

Please note changes from the usual day and usual start time. An optional Chinese buffet meal, supplied by the Fujiyama Café, will follow the meeting at 7 pm. Orders for the $8.00 meal (please pay at the door) will be taken up till 6 pm. If you think you may be late arriving, please let the Secretary know in advance.

LAST MEETING
The Wellington historian Nigel Murphy addressed an intensely interested audience of about 50 on the history of the Chinese in the Hutt Valley. It started with the drawcard of gold-mining in Otago in the 1860s. Settlement in the Hutt Valley began in the 1880s with market gardening by hard-working single Chinese men facing prejudice and racism and regularly sending money back home to families in China.

Chinese families were established in the 1940s when females were permitted to migrate to New Zealand. From then on people of Chinese descent have made their mark in many facets of New Zealand life. One fascinating sidelight was Nigel reporting that most of the Chinese in New Zealand initially came from just three counties in Guangdong Province: Jeng Seng, Poon Yu and Seyip. Cantonese was the language used. It is only since the 1980s that other Chinese languages/dialects are used in New Zealand as recent immigrants have come from many parts of China.

Market gardening by Chinese began soon after their arrival for gold-mining - in Dunedin and Alexander in 1867 - and spread to fertile sites around all the major towns. The first Chinese market garden in Wellington was begun in Ohiro in 1869. They were established along The Terrace, Central Park, Adelaide Road and with expansion of the city moved to Miramar and Island Bay until the 1880s when the Hutt Valley became Wellington's garden. There were 51 Chinese market gardeners reported in the 1870 census and by 1940 half the Chinese population in New Zealand was engaged in market gardening.

In the 1880s and 1890s the widespread prejudice against Chinese among the European population was fuelled in the Hutt Valley by competition from European market gardeners and led to some violent clashes. The quality and price of Chinese produce won the day commercially even though it did not reduce the racism in the short term.

The expansion of housing in the Hutt Valley from the late 1930s saw a decline of market gardening there and a move by some Chinese to the Otaki area. Those in related fruit and vegetable shops, hawking and laundries remained in Petone and Lower Hutt.

Meanwhile Chinese occupations diversified as the children of the new Chinese families made good use of public education. Nigel ended his talk by describing the careers of two Chinese people who held public office in the Hutt. George Gee was Mayor of Petone 1968-1980, the first Chinese elected Mayor in New Zealand. He was the son of an 1881 immigrant from Jeng Seng County who started a fruit shop in Petone in 1938. Gee was not originally the family name but one given by an immigrant official - a common feature.

George Gee Drive in Korokoro is one of just two streets in New Zealand named for a Chinese person. Molly Ngan Kee, Hutt City Councillor 1977 and Deputy Mayor 1980, was the first Chinese woman to hold public office in New Zealand. She was also the first Chinese woman to be a JP and marriage celebrant.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE: FRIDAY 16 - SUNDAY 18 MAY, MASTERTON
The Masterton Branch has done a wonderful job making the arrangements for an excellent conference. About eighty people are scheduled to attend.

MEETING DATES FOR REST OF 2008
May 27, Tuesday, 5.45 pm. Speaker: Mr Dave Bromwich, National Executive member.
June 22, Sunday, 2.30pm
July 20, Sunday, 2.30 pm
August 20, Wednesday, 5.45 pm
September 28, Sunday, China National Day Banquet. Speaker: Mr Tay Wilson, Hon IOC member.
October 29, Wednesday, 5.45 pm
December 3, Wednesday, 5.45 pm. Christmas meeting.

Please note that future week-day meetings will start at 5.45pm.

MANDARIN CORNER (Jointly with the Chinese Language Association, Wellington Branch)
Saturdays 3.15-4.15 pm at Victoria University, 22 Kelburn Parade, Room 104. Gold coin appreciated. Please note that Mandarin Corner for Term 2 starts again on Saturday, May 10. There will be no meeting on 31 May, Queen's birthday weekend.

CHINESE FEATURE FILM - Chinese Language Association, Wellington Branch
Wednesday, 14 May at 7.30pm at Committee Room No 1, Wellington City Council, 101 Wakefield St. (Please note that door closes at 7.45 pm.)
Honeymoon (Ai - zai lushang) Newly-married Lin Yan's role as stepmother to 16 year old Xiao Fei is rejected. When his father leaves Beijing on a business trip, Xiao Fei runs away from home, subsequently getting into serious trouble. Lin Yan goes through many hardships and travels long distances to locate Xiao Fei and to gain his acceptance. Finally, when they break their homeward journey at an ancient town on the banks of the Yellow River, Lin Yan and Xiao Fei are deeply moved by the simplistic lives of the townspeople and their relationship changes from conflict to mutual love. Director: Chen Jun; starring Wang Ning and Shang Yue. DVD 85 minutes; in Modern Standard Chinese, with English subtitles

HEARTLAND CHINA TOUR - OCTOBER 10-30
There are still places left in this great tour of China after the Olympics. Consider taking part and/or advise your friends. Please contact NZCFS Tours Tim Jensen, Phone 07 5790746 or 0800223362, Email nzchinatours@xtra.co.nz

FUND-RAISING DINNER FOR NZ CHINESE GIFT SCULPTURE TO NZ OLYMPIC TEAM
A table of our branch members attended this dinner arranged by the Chinese Association on Sunday, 27 April when $8,500 was raised.

SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subscriptions for 2008 are now due. Please renew if you have not already done so.

NEW MEMBERS
Warm welcome to Rebecca Culverhouse, Clare Fearnley and Kathryn Hastings.