??? asked : There's marked prejudice based on Nationality (all nationalities) and the underlying reason seems to be because we're immigrants. It is theorised that there is a conflict between the government policy of encouraging immigraton and the native people who are very xenophobic. NZ lived in isolation for many years before immigration was introduced.

You do not notice this if you are a tourist, not while money is exchanged between tourist and vendor. Once you start living, working and going to school it's a different ballgame. Now I'll probably get trolled by the cliche that this happens wherever immigration takes place. The fact that the country was fairly isolated until as recent as the late nineties, means that the prosperous effect of immigration has not had time to validate itself fully in the minds of Kiwis. This in spite of the fact that it has been very positive in Tax contribution and stimulating the economy.

At this stage, immigration is very much on pioneering level and we're generally seen as intruders and have to strongly justify our presence, even though we followed a very costly, legal process of immigration.

The enigma being that the New Zealand born youth leave the country in huge numbers, either permanently or for long periods of time, leaving a noticeable gap in the workforce and a depressed state of skills.

Quarter of NZ's brightest are gone - 12 Mar 2005 - Foreign policy news - NZ Herald