Maori-Chinese

Now this seems like an intriguing topic. Manying Ip has decided to investigate the Maori-Chinese, a little-known group that resulted from relationships between Chinese market-gardeners in New Zealand, far from their wives and children and regular families in China, and Maori women who did not necessarily expect much out of the relationships.

To be honest, I'd never heard of such a group before, but apparently there's more of them than one might expect, and Prof Ip gives us a very short explanation in this article:

Today, the younger Maori-Chinese may be confident with their multiple roots and the cultural advantages they possess, but it was a very different story in the past, she said.

"Trying to establish a positive Maori-Chinese identity when both Maori and Chinese were considered undesirable was an ongoing struggle for each one of them," said Professor Ip, who described Maori and Chinese as marginalised communities in New Zealand.

That, and there, erm, irregular family backgrounds... Understood.

This could be an interesting book to look out for.