Haina-Mana History seeks to address the educational gap around Chinese history in Aotearoa for young New Zealanders, especially Chinese New Zealanders and Poll Tax descendants.

Many people in Aotearoa are unaware of Chinese history in Aotearoa, including details around the poll tax, other discriminatory legislation, the government apology, and the existence of the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust. In-depth information on Chinese history in New Zealand is mostly confined to academic or cultural books and journal articles, so we hope that sharing information around well-researched historical and contemporary events can act as gateway for people to access further resources.

Aside from education, this empowers Chinese New Zealanders and other minority ethnic groups to do our own research on our family history, navigate resources around our community histories in Aotearoa and participate in our own cultural preservation.

HAINA-MANA

The term “Hainamana” is a te reo Māori word for Chinese people that has appeared in print since at least the 1850s. It is the most common te reo transliteration of the racial epithet “Chinaman” (others being variations of tiainamana, tainamana), and is the most widely recognised te reo word for Chinese people to this day. For some Chinese New Zealanders, “Hainamana” does not hold the same derogatory connotations as “Chinaman” and is instead an identity to be reclaimed (e.g. Amy Weng’s Hainamana | Contemporary Asian New Zealand Art & Culture has helped to shape it positively), while to others it is offensive, and the preference is to work towards adopting terminology with more positive roots (Te Hekenga Taikoa, 紐華源流 is coming soon, and this is their approach).

Haina-Mana History reimagines the loaded term “hainamana” as “Haina Mana”, a nod to the kupu that we have carried with us for so long, but breaking it down into “Haina” (China) and “Mana” to elevate the integrity and mana of Chinese New Zealanders while challenging some of the power it has had over us. It’s important to observe that language can and does change and that “hainamana” is not the only option for grounding our identity as Chinese New Zealanders. A term like “hainamana” can be inappropriate when applied to those who do not identify with it, and is always offensive when used as a pejorative.

VALUES

Haina-Mana History is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable community grounded in the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi and support of Tino Rangatiratanga.

Embracing intersectional solidarity, we acknowledge the interconnectedness of social issues and strive to address how all forms of oppression are linked. We champion pan-Asian solidarity and wish to foster unity among the diverse Asian communities of Aotearoa. We regard the historical treatment of Chinese people in Aotearoa under a system of colonial White supremacy as having had a marked effect on how all Asians — and all immigrants of colour — have been and continue to be treated in Aotearoa.

PROJECT 2024

Project 2024 serves to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the New Zealand Chinese community from the 1800s to present, celebrating cultural, academic, and artistic achievements by Chinese New Zealanders and drawing attention to historical discriminatory legislation and events.

Information on these topics is posted on Instagram each day, with most “on the day” that they happened in history.

Check out Project 2024 to learn more.