Fight for a Pa¯keha¯ identity
An Auckland man is pushing for the term Pa¯ keha¯ to be included as an ethnicity option in the census form.
Piha resident Peter Hosking was part of a Call me Pa¯keha¯ online campaign, calling for the return of the term Pa¯ keha¯ .
It was last featured in the 1996 census when it was bracketed next to New Zealand European, but was removed from the next census.
The 2018 census form’s only option for people who identify as Pa¯keha¯ was ‘‘New Zealand European’’.
Hosking was asking people to check the ‘‘other’’ box and type in ‘‘Pa¯ keha¯ ’’.
‘‘When it comes to ethnicity, lots of New Zealanders think of themselves as Pa¯keha¯, rather than NZ European,’’ Hosking said.
Hosking said he wanted Stats NZ to include both options in the next census.
‘‘We want it back ... it’s too late to change this census but if enough of us write in Pa¯ keha¯ in this census, it will go a long way to persuading Stats NZ to offer this option next time.’’
Broadcaster Stacey Morrison, who co-wrote a guide to learning the Ma¯ori language, was surprised Pa¯keha¯ was not an ethnicity option in the census.
‘‘Why can’t we have both New Zealand European and Pa¯keha¯ as options?’’ Morrison said.
‘‘I am a Maori and Pa¯ keha¯ and I always select both. New Zealand European does not encompass that.’’
The lone ‘‘New Zealand European’’ option for non-Ma¯ ori New Zealanders did not fit with many New Zealanders’ identities, she said.
Morrison said she was disappointed that Pa¯ keha¯ culture was not embraced in a form which provided a snapshot of New Zealand’s society.
‘‘Pa¯ keha¯ expresses the nature of your family’s voyage to New Zealand, that you have come, at some point, voyaged to and made New Zealand your home.
‘‘It tells the story of who your family is.’’
However, Census ruled out the return of the term Pa¯ keha¯ as an ethnicity option in future census surveys. Census had eight standard classifications of ethnicities.
‘‘The terms Pa¯keha¯ and New Zealander existed within ethnic categories within the classification. There just isn’t a tick box on the census form.’’