Continuing in our series of Migrant Tales – first hand immigrant stories about life in New Zealand, taken from locations around the net.
This post was left on an international emigration forum, one that caters to migrants in many different countries. It was made by a New Zealander who comes from Christchurch and although it is brutally honest don’t shoot the messenger, s/he admits these are sweeping generalisations and there is no intention to offend.
We’re showing it here because it may help many Americans to understand why they find it hard to be accepted into small town minded New Zealand:
Its True – Kiwis dont really like Americans.
We generally don’t like or trust Americans. Sad but true. Sorry. If you are an American, make sure you know other Americans that you plan on socialising with when you come out to NZ. Otherwise unfortunately, as many of you are finding out, you are likely to remain socially isolated. Out of all the English speaking world, Kiwis dislike Americans the most (probably unfairly).Don’t shoot the messenger but here is a bit of a heads up about how we Kiwis think. Please try not to be offended; be aware that these are sweeping generalisations, they are NOT necessarily the truth of the situation but I have outlined some of the ways that Kiwis generally perceive the USA and Americans.
Rightly or wrongly WE:
a. View your political antics on the world stage with suspicion
b. Are scathing of the arrogance with which the USA has dismissed UN directives (eg over Iraq) and initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocol – truly your arrogance on the world stage is breathtaking;
c. Believe that your country thinks it is a law unto yourselves and we don’t respect that
d. Feel you selfishly gobble up far too much of the world’s resources – much more than your share
e. Believe that given the size of your country, you have had the capacity to do things like end world hunger but because it is not in your political interests to do so, you don’t bother
f. View your extroverted nature with suspicion as some sort of attempt to dominate others by being the biggest and loudest and having a superior attitude (much as you attempt to dominate the world stage)
g. See much of your sense of humour as being corny and simplistic (eg the only sitcoms we really like are those that rely on an ironic, more sarcastic or dry humor)
h. Cant believe how many people in the USA seem to be gullible and just not all that intelligent (that’s the result of those day time chat shows/media/trashy magazines/Hollywood superstar silly behaviour that don’t present you in a good light)
i. Resent that the USA sets a trend and a few short years later we have it happening in our society eg increasing obesity. Given media influence and the economic power of your corporates, we feel powerless to stop this and really really don’t like it.
These are some of the ways we think and the attitudes you are up against. Thought you should know then you wont be surprised when you don’t get a fair welcome and open offers of friendship.
You may also be interested in the following selection:
An American’s take on “rip-off New Zealand”
Studying in New Zealand – An American students tells what it’s really like to study in New Zealand
Immigrants caught in a cold poverty trap – An American and Australian couple
American says Tauranga mis sold
An American asks himself “why New Zealand”
American ‘put downs’ in the NZ media – 2 examples
1:30 “What happens is these big fat americans, of which there are plenty you gotta admit, they’re up to here with MacDonalds..they’re huge blubbery people…”
0:24 “You’re fortunately then one of those Americans who are aware that Australia and New Zealand are two separate countries?”
10:13″‘Well Rugby is our national game, it’s a little bit different to (American) football, you have to be a real man to play it”
E2NZ.org 
For all Americans traveling to and from New Zealand – extra security measures related to tensions over the rise of new Moslem extremists are not being applied at New Zealand airports. Do your research on air travel safety before choosing your international carrier.
I feel so sad that so many of you have had such awful experiences in my country…I have never been rude to a person because they come from elsewhere…American, Canadian, POM, Malaysian, Thai, Australian, South African etc… I enjoy the deverse culture everyone who has come has bought with them. I know that we are a young country with alot to learn. I myself am amazed by the changes in the demographics of NZ in just the past 25 years.
I went to Primary School (ages 5-10) with primarily European (Pakeha) and Maori Children. The only internationals at my school were from a Chinese/Kiwi family that sent their 2 boys to my school. I look at how fortunate my children today are with having the diverse range of cultures .That I hope teach them that we are all the same….Just we have different backgrounds and Ideas. None of which are wrong they are just different and I hope that they learn to respect that…
I am sorry that some of us have given off such a terrible impression. I hope you all understand that it is not how all of us feel.
Arohanui
(Much Love)
Moana
(Christchurch, Nz)
What most of the other countries don’t realize is that most Americans agree with all of the above statements. They also don’t realize that just because we have a democratic government, they are all crooked, so even though we vote in someone we think will make a change, they don’t. Also, we are a loyal, ride or die country, so we will defend America even when we know we are wrong. (Its kinda like when you have a younger sibling, you can pick on them, but no one else can.) At the end of the day, its our home, whether we like it or not.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11263969
Of course, now my post has worked for the first time!:) Still not sure what a fake IP address is though…
Anna/Amelia44 try to keep up. Your posts have always been there. People even took time to respond to you, SFNZ replied to you here https://e2nz.org/2014/04/21/carping-kiwis-article-picked-up-by-nz-press/#comment-135457.
Trolling takes many forms, it’s not just having a fake IP that gets you banned from this site.
Oh ok I didnt know this person was banned and a troll. Can you remove my post? Also I got confused and thought the post was more recent lol
Sorry for my ignorance. What is a fake IP address? I am not familiar with this. Could that be why none of the comments I have submitted to this site have appeared? Certainly none of them have been inflammatory or controversial.
Anna, three of your previous comments have been approved.
https://e2nz.org/2014/04/21/carping-kiwis-article-picked-up-by-nz-press/#comment-135457
https://e2nz.org/migrant-stories/chapter-7/this-is-why-i-didnt-like-new-zealand/#comment-21546
https://e2nz.org/whats-it-like-to-live-in-nz/vox-pop/chapter-1/new-zealand-is-turning-into-a-really-racist-country/#comment-17818
deleted
what part of “you’re banned” didn’t you get. Take your Kiwi racism elsewhere.
It is obvious that there are a lot of people with insecurity complexes here on all sides because what underlies mean criticism and character assignation is either insecurity, jealousy or a lack of personal maturity. I wouldn’t take the meanly critical people too seriously because as soon as they reveal themselves you should immediately leave them and find someone more socially mature, which are many. Enjoy your day!
Hi Steve – you may want to do a bit more reading before using the term “character assassination.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “the malicious and unjustified harming of a person’s good reputation.” I believe that the E2NZ admin would not publish any comments which would be considered a malicious attack on someone by name, except perhaps public figures, who are fair game in any country. Moreover, character assassination is personal by nature, and directed at a specific individual. The criticisms directed at New Zealand as a country and culture are not aimed at specific individuals in most cases, and you would have a difficult time convincing anyone except the kiwi true believers that the criticism is unjustified.
Also, your reference to “meanly critical people” is poor English and jumbled thinking. So much of the daily dialogue in New Zealand is comprised of self-righteous vitriole directed at other nations and peoples (frequently, the U.S.), to distract the population from its own troubling issues. So, if you are looking for insecurity issues, you need look no further than at the mirror in front of you.
Thank you Calvin. It was ‘Steve’s’ insecurity that probably led to him using a fake IP address (91.187.85.108). This is another one of our trolls concerned about the negative impact this site is having on worldwide perception of NZ: validation that we’re on the right track.
You are 100% right. Kiwis only think about what they can extract from you right now and they lack long-term thinking skills. Buy from overseas for quality and good service.
I didn’t used to think that there was too much of a problem with Kiwi customer service – then I started buying goods from overseas due to the escalating costs of goods bought locally. I soon found out that I would get better customer service via the internet, or phone, with companies on the other side of the world than I would from the locals. If things went wrong with an overseas purchase a single email would usually get the customer service wheels rolling. Overseas companies actually WANT your business, and they know it is easy for you to take it elsewhere. Compare this to buying locally where the seller doesn’t seem to care. I can remember two examples in particular, one in which I purchased a computer peripheral from Hong Kong: the company sent me the wrong item. One email and they responded by telling me I could keep the item, and they instantly refunded me. Consequence: I would happily buy from them again.
By contrast I purchased a custom built computer from a local retailer: they didn’t assemble it correctly (it kept refusing to power up). They refused to acknowledge there was a problem, refused to cooperate in fixing the problem, refused to respond to letters until I threatened legal action, refused to meet their obligations, and messed me around FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR with one excuse after another. In the end, after seeking legal counsel, I set a deadline for them to fix it by (which I gave them in writing). When they failed yet again I approached another company to fix it with the intention of reclaiming the cost through the Small Claims Tribunal (a small scale form of lawsuit). The company I had purchased it from was breaking the law (The Consumer Guarantees Act), but their attitude was that I should spend my time doing something better than researching my legal rights and making sure I didn’t have a faulty computer (they actually had the audacity to put this in writing in one of their responses).
A simple check (that I could do myself) was suggested by a computer repair company I had approached and it was discovered that the clips on the ribbon cable plugging into the motherboard had not been opened before it had been plugged in and as a result the connection was loose (thereby preventing the power supply providing power to the motherboard properly). No only was this a sign of incredible incompetence on the part of the ‘service agent’ that had built the computer in the first place it was also the kind of repair that should have been identified immediately and fixed in less than 30 seconds! Ever since I did this repair the computer has worked perfectly.
Consequence: I have told everyone I know about their shocking customer service. At least three people, each prepared to spend around $1500 on a computer, have gone elsewhere.
The base lesson here is that in general Kiwi shops are only after whatever money they can get out of the customer RIGHT NOW, they don’t care about future sales, most of them don’t have a clue about the laws that they have to follow, and most of them couldn’t care less about following them.
Kate—you are so right with dating a kiwi man…if they bought you a cup of tea, it would be like winning the lottery, ha ha…sorry for being harsh, but dam, it is so true,..at least the men i met and dated…
your not allowed ” complain ” about anything in new Zealand , the reply to everything at all levels to complaints of any nature is ” stop whining ”
doesn’t matter if its about the fact that your rental accommodation is sub standard or your office manager is a sociopath
So true. Australians are prosocial and sunshiny. Huge difference. I noticed it too, when I went to Australia after living for years in New Zealand. Kiwis are autistic or something. “Relational aggression is high” as someone else on here has pointed out..
New Zealand must really be hell. I’ve lived in Australia for years and the things said about Kiwis on this site are very close to home for me.
Im an Australian and I have to say Im proud to be one. Not that we are perfect either.
I travelled to New Zealand for the first time last year for a holiday and I must admit I was inspired by the beautiful scenery, however, Australia is just as spectacular.
I was very surprised at how rude and cold the kiwis were (not all of them) and I’m not one to be easily offended.
For instance Kiwis dont like meeting new people or holding a conversation with someone they dont know. I noticed if you smile at them they will wonder what your smiling at or ask you to mind your own business even though its just a friendly hello. New Zealanders are certainly not as friendly.
Shop assistants can be rude as well. Over here in Australia people are down to earth and enjoy meeting other people. In shops, they pretend they cant see you.
I remember being in a shop and hearing one lady swearing at her two year old using words I do not want to repeat.
Overall, i noticed a lot of people in New Zealand don’t seem to be happy, particularly with their jobs and they do not like providing customer service. For a majority of people , it appears a real burden for them to have to make the effort of assisting you.
I am very proud to be an Australian living that is much more welcoming and friendly.
Customer service is just a 2 letter word in NZ… try renting… they will not even clean the flat when you move in…. it is your responsibility…. try regular maintenance… if the curtains are full of mould the landlord will not replace them and tell you that you are not suitable for the flat… if you tell the landlord living upstairs that you need to sleep between 10 pm and 6 am to work they will just give you notice to move and say they are not going to change their lifestyle… when you buy something at some stores depending on the manager…. returning as it was not what you expected… they will say once opened we cannot return it… I got used to putting a stick or bug in something then returning it… no questions asked then… NZ has the WORST customer service in the Western World! No doubt. Even Aussies will say this when they are here. This customers service carries over in every aspect of day-to-day life… Remember that most customers are women as they buy more so it does have a bit to do with sexism and in NZ the sexism is more from women against women… Yes women in the stores will treat you differently and worse than the men overall but this sexism did start with men…. Date a Kiwi guy… you will be lucky if he even offers to take you out or pay for your meal or a cup of tea at that. Generally when I have met Kiwi guys for a date, they show-up late so you can buy your own drink and they do not have to pay… Short arms, long pockets is the saying over here- comes from their working class Scottish-English roots!
This is the first time that I have heard anyone mention what I have noticed many times in New Zealand, that is the poor way in which women treat other women here. So far I have seen more sexist and rude behaviour from women to women than from men by far. Even in the workplace the support staff go out of their way to assist the men (and only very senior women managers). However, when it comes to helping out other professional women or mid level female managers, forget it!
This is an interesting thing you point out. I think it goes back to the entrenched sexism in NZ, so that women feel they are in competition with each other for male attention because that is the way to get access to resources. So you get admin pandering to the big male bosses and looking sideways at women who dare challenge the status quo. Very odd. I was told that it was totally normal in the 80s in one govt agency for male bosses to tell female staff to sit on their laps. Honestly the culture didn’t seem too different 20 years later.
It also goes back to overall culture of hostility in NZ – if you let your guard down people tend to stick the boot in.
absolutely true.
Family and friends who have emigrated to Oz generally say they are very welcoming and friendly. Having said that apparently when mines close Ozzies close ranks and hire their own which is understandable but not so welcoming if you have taken your family over! I have found kiwis very friendly and polite but one SA artisan who came here years ago was told by a kiwi that he was taking local jobs and not wanted – I guess it was soon after the era of strong Union propaganda. Australians and South Africans are considered a bit loud, brash and opinionated by kiwis I think because we actually say what we feel.
You wouldn’t have written that if you had my experiences as a New Yorker living in Melbourne.
As a Kiwi hotel owner & operator in New Zealand for the last 15 years. I was trained in Hawaii and have been in the hospitality business for 30 years . Lived in 3 different countries and frequently travel myself . I have had an opportunity to witness and experience how different nationalities of people behave while staying at my lodge.My hotel was newly built 15 years ago . It is well maintained , 4 star plus Qualmark rated , absolute beachfront, priced above average with luxury amenities and high standard of service and care . We also have a 5 star rating on Trip Advisor . A very well run business with good reviews . My clientele base is about 60% international & 40% domestic( hopefully 70-30 one day ) .What I have discovered based on my personal experience was surprising even to me .
Americans are not at all loud ( Kiwis are the loud ones!) , they are curious, polite , well spoken & educated and very accommodating .They make quality guest .
I also had many people from Sri Lanka and I have to say they were some of my very best guest .Friendly and also well educated . The Germans , Swiss ,Swedish , Dutch French, Austrians , were independent , very very quiet and sophisticated .Spanish and Italians always invited you to come and stay with them ( did take up an offer once while in Rome ). I did not have many from the Asian community but I have had Chinese , Japanese and Koreans . The Chinese were also good guest . They did have busy schedules so they did not use the facility much . Koreans were very family orientated and they would come in large groups and prepare meals in the apartment . Very polite and friendly .Left the place immaculate . And the Japanese are very well mannered quiet and lovely .
So now I will get to Kiwis . The worst guest by a large margin . And I am not the only one that feels that way . Kiwis were so hard on the appliances . I have had to replace toasters, microwave oven, light fixtures , refrigerator shelving due to misused. They are dirty and leave an enormous mess behind . You think, do these people live like this ? Kiwis also seem to leave lights on when they are out for the day . Broken glass and plate-ware are part of normal wear and tear but what I experienced from Kiwi’s is way above normal . Kiwis are also the most dishonest . Would give credit card details from cards that were not valid , stole towels , cutlery , DVDs , books , linen . They were loud , would party late into the night and disturb other guest ,even some would actually smoke pot in the apartments , fight , slam doors , invite friends and take up guest parking then leave their rubbish behind on the common grounds . Each apartment had a list of policies that explained about , parking spaces , respecting other guest , no smoking inside , visiting guest are not meant to stay all day and night , no loud parties or music . All of which would consistently be ignore by you guessed it my Kiwi guest .
I had this one Kiwi lawyer that came and he and his family proceeded to systematically tear apart the place . There was damage and for the first time after all these years I decide that this was beyond the normal scope of wear and tear. Mainly because it had been deliberately done by his teenage kids that over the 3 days he would leave alone in the apartment while he and his new girlfriend went out to visit friends and have drinks . Well, this lawyer treated me like I was a hostile witness on the stand .He even told me that I should know better then to rent out to people with teenagers . And I said that I am not even charging the full amount for damages only half as we will cover the rest . No apologies and just so so rude I decide that I would take his advise and never have another kiwis family( especially with teenagers ) in the lodge . Because although this was one of worst examples there are too many more horror stories I could tell regarding the bad parenting going on in this country .Kids just totally lacking any impulse control or social skills . Parents are the ones to blame of course but they are in denial !
Now what I do is carefully screen my guest and if there any signs at all that potential guest are going to be less then respectable, mature people I refuse the booking .Beware all hoteliers .Best advise I can give is exclude the domestic market .You have to be careful how you do it but it just is not worth the trouble . Your life will be so much easier .
I have found Americans and many Canadians very loud but so what I say. They are usually very nice and genuine people. The poms are also loud but mostly when drunk. I also find many middle eastern and quite a few asians (contrary to popular opinion) very loud. Again – so what. But to say all Yanks are loud is silly. That is like saying all kiws hate yanks. South African, Poms, Australians, Yanks are more opinionated and forthright than kiwis who have been too Treaty whipped to say what they think in case it offends someone,
Wait- YOUR fault for renting to a family with teenagers. Take some responsibility people! What about controlling your offspring?
Well said. Another Kiwi who lived in America said to me that Kiwis do not know how to handle conflict at al- – this is also true in most respects and because they cannot handle conflict they cannot handle other cultures well and differences.
This sounds like the complaints that most American’s have about our own.
en zed popper in controversy
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2451407/Lorde-called-RACIST-song-Royals-mentions-Cristal-diamond-encrusted-watches.html
Given that this 16 year old is making remarks about America in her lyrics, its hard to believe why hip hop music is still the most popular genre there??
This is all rubbish. Younger generation is anti-american. Yeah, bullcrap! Majority of NZ younger generation watch American TV shows and movies, listen to American music and follow American fashion trends. You all need to speak for yourselves because I for one, don’t dislike Americans and won’t generalize a whole country if I met an American I don’t like. I hate seeing comments stating that all New Zealanders hate Americans. We are a very multi-cultural country and I find America interesting because we are so different to them. I am sure many people think the same. To also point out, we dont hate Australia. Australia and New Zealand are very competitive when it comes to sports which is why we come off as hating them. There are people that don’t like Aussie but don’t generalize. Many New Zealanders don’t really care about other countries when it comes to hate. We are surrounded by so many nationalities. Why some New Zealanders hate the British? We don’t hate British people or people that live in Britain. We hate what the British use to do and we are meaning the Government. Why? Because of all the shit they did in the past and even though it is in the past. They did alot of shit that is to hard to forgive and forget. And not only to us but to other countries as well like India and Ireland for examples. New Zealand are empathetic people but we are not going to hate on British people because of the mistakes their country did decades ago, No. Many of you guys misunderstood and if you knew the background to what we were talking about you would understand.
Gee, a lot of generalisations there Tee, not least about NZ youth. Does that generation watch TV any more?
You forgot to add what the Romans ever did for you.
Of course the British have suffered countless invasions over the centuries, none of which added a shred of cultural heritage or advanced civilisation in any way. Life was so much simpler back in the Stone Age aye?
@Tee:
We are a very multi-cultural country and I find America interesting because we are so different to them.
Yes, for starters you don’t have a month in the calendar dedicated towards the Asian people who helped build your country. Multi-cultural indeed.
Not to mention your street names are either in English or Maori or both. Multi-cultural indeed.
Many New Zealanders don’t really care about other countries when it comes to hate.
So what was that against Fiji? Methinks it was sanctions?
Do you put sanctions on people you are allied to or those you have nothing against?
We hate what the British use to do and we are meaning the Government. Why? Because of all the shit they did in the past and even though it is in the past. They did alot of shit that is to hard to forgive and forget.
Google returns: No results found for “British oppression of new zealand”.
Perhaps you are referring to Britain joining the EEC and then taking less of your exports — but in return, they sold less to you too. Economic decisions are hardly “oppression”.
What you wrote reminds me of a famous scene from the Adam Sandler movie “Billy Madison”:
Multicultural in what sense?Auckland has many cultures, yet at the same time it’s segregated.
NZ has its fair share of skeletons too. When Samoa was under NZ rule, they split up Chinese farmers from their wives, and deported them back to China. Also, look up ‘Black Saturday.’
My grandmother had negative experiences with the Kiwis during this time.
As for the anti-American sentiment here, the NZ media beat it like a dead horse. It’s almost like a “Two Minutes Hate” segment.
(Hence the reason why I rarely watch the news here)
Good way to describe it. Interesting about Black Saturday. http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/samoa/black-saturday Thanks for sharing.
I am an American who has lived abroad for many years now, and can wholeheartedly assure you that I have seen a variety of behaviors and attitudes exhibited people from many different places.
Do you agree with every single one of your governments policies? Do you feel 100% that they represent you and your beliefs? Shall I judge you based on those in broad sweeping statement?
You don’t have any overweight/uneducated/hateful people?
I must make a point to visit this perfect Utopia from whence such scathing judgement issues so freely.
i’m a black from the pacific ,kiwis( Pakehas) are bad.They are racist cos they haven’t been to america to experience other culures..bt maoris are cool and rspectable to us black americans….i actually dislike kiwis much cos they stick to themselves
http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/advice-for-americans-on-life-in-new-zealand/
Even the academic specialists on racism in NZ does not know the differences between cultural racism and racism. The former is based on the culture you come from whether American, Maori, Pacific Island, Italian, Japanese, etc… The latter is based on your skin colour-complexion or appearance, which could include a physical handicap or disability that is noticeable- even such things as wearing glasses or looking ugly or low class. NZ does more cultural discrimination than anything else. My friend who is Hispanic from Los Angeles does not get discriminated against in NZ for being American at all- she looks totally Mexican but speaks with a West Coast accent. However, I do, being fair-skinned and having an East European appearance, especially with a N. American accent. So although cultural discrimination is more common, your appearance still plays a part of it. I have no problem telling people I am American… I do not want to lie about it and tell them I am Canadian. I do not like lying and why should I lie- do Kiwis expect to represent themselves as Aussies overseas to be accepted? Forget it! so why should I. When a person is raised in a culture and perhaps does not discriminate, they do not recognize discrimination and believe that it does not exist- it is the past. Would Maori tell you it is all in the past?…. this discrimination thing. Everyday I hear about Maori culture and people refer to the movie the ‘Once Were Warriors’ and say that is Maori culture: the” f-u b***** cook me some eggs line” is a commonly referred to among Pakeha. However, I wish to say that I lived next door to a Pakeha who had a Maori girlfriend and I heard him beat her up from time-to-time, so don’t say it is all in Maori culture because it isn’t and many Pakehas treat others very poorly. Blame POM culture for this- that is who you should blame really. Just look at the customer service in NZ and lack of empathetic attitudes regarding human rights in NZ and you will understand what I am talking about…. I get better customer service from the Asians in NZ than I do from the Pakeha culture… If Maoris did not put up a stink about how they get treated, we would even be worse-off here. To be truthful, NZ is bi-cultural and not multi-cultural at all. Everything is done the Pakeha way- everything and that is why Maoris have put up a stink but many of them are re-acting out the Pakeha system because they do not know any differently.
Don’t tell them that! The Hobbit is the only thing that saved their economy the last few years. And they already believe that America is bullying them into all kinds of things. I’ve had so many bitter, angry, nasty Kiwis going on about how we Americans are always calling the shots and that they are sick of us. When the next election comes, they’ll vote out National and vote in Labour, all on a platform of anti-American rhetoric, duly amplified by The Herald. Then they’ll repeal the “Hobbit Law” and none of us Americans will be able to get work. Then we’ll be stranded here. Do not incite these backwards idiots against us. They’ll destroy their own economy out of spite, just to get at us.
Arguably the biggest split between the Kiwis and Americans was unnecessarily instigated by David Lange. The Kiwis manufactured a crisis and they act like they were the victims. All in the name of the moral superiority that they lord over us while being simultaneously protected by the US’s control of the Pacific since WW2.
Trudat, Seppo! I think we should also make a point of remembering that the “oppressive” ANZUS Treaty that was at the centre of the Lange’s crisis was drafted by NZ, not by American authorities. They drafted it because during the Eisenhower administration the Kiwis didn’t trust America enough to participate in the treaty that Australia had already signed. So all that rhetoric that David Lange spouted about America being “as oppressive as the totalitarian regimes which we claim to oppose” was based on his reading of a Kiwi contract. Cute huh? And this is the proud defining moment of their nationalism.
To all kiwis who want to rip on Americans because of it’s foreign policy…just remember, your Prime Minister is a lap dog to any monied interest that flashes before his eyes..so you too are directly involved like it or not…
That is very true what you say and he is a banker and supports america’s private banking system as it rips off many people and contributes to the slave system- there are no banks in NZ like the Bank of North Dakota and yet Kiwis think their banking system is good (ran by Aussies btw)… Their National Surveillance system collects data and hands it over to US Gov- so when the are anti-US Gov it seems strange as they allow their own gov to share info with US intelligence and support Key in doing so…
I wouldn’t agree that the Kiwis support John Key and his national surveillance system that collects data and hands it over to the US government – they are just too lazy and apathetic to do anything about it.
8 years living in NZ as a woman… My experience is that
heterosexual females are very intimidated by foreign women- whether
US or not. They have a chip on their shoulder. NZ is not a
sophisticated culture and most the lineages of people who live in
NZ are of working class Scottish, Irish, English descent. If you
are an American man here you got it made because Kiwi women give it
easy and they like foreign men. Anyway this is a generalization but
after being here for a long time I would say it has some truth. NZ
women think everyone else has got it better but many define
themselves with how much money they have or can save which is
ironic because often times they are more materialistic and frugal
than most Americans. Also people are generally emotionally
repressed in NZ- thanks to being of primarily of English stalk, so
they can be passive aggressive. I truly think it is how you carry
yourself- if you have a chip on your shoulder you will be a victim.
South Island is racists and sexists much more than the North
Island. Maori are also very different depending on where they grew
up. The problem you have in NZ as you have any in some places in
the States is that people can be narrow-minded and insular. Many
NZers are not very traveled nor are they crossed-culture but I
found the same thing when living in Montana and Texas. Also do not
take what Kiwis say personally- they are just as critical and
negative about Aussies and the English as well as each other. The
Tall Poppy Syndrome is everywhere but the best thing to realize is
that when people are narrow it is because they are insecure
themselves. If you are a secure person, you can make it most places
and do not allow the narrow thoughts of others influence you. There
are many opportunities in NZ to advance in the market. Money talks
so if you have money or can make money you will be respected. Be
yourself and who cares what the average Kiwi thinks- it is their
problem, not yours and because there are less people here, the bad
ones stand out but there are good people too. I only warn foreign
women to tread very carefully in NZ if you are not married because
Kiwi women can be abusive and undermine you out of their own
inferior complexes. If you are a woman and interview for jobs with
women, your chances will be much slim in getting the job and if you
are beautiful even less so… Take a look at Helen Clarke and you
will understand what I mean… There are only a handful of Rachel
Hunter types here. The other thing I wish to say is that Healthcare
is SH**, so if you can save and take yourself to another country
for surgery or for dentistry you will be better off. Both I have
found are not very good. But there are foreigners practicing
medicine and dentistry here. My other warning to Americans is that
unless you are conservative, it will be hard because as I said
people are emotionally repressed here and drink to let out their
feelings- they are not talkers generally and do not talk things out
like North Americans in general. There is also no influences of
Latin culture so that is another issue that arises to the emotional
repression that is not so much a part of North American culture.
Some Maoris are really cool so do not let the Maori prejudice get
to you because they are people too and sometimes they can treat you
better than the Pakehas. Some Aussies are really cool too and more
open than the average Kiwi. And if you are needing beautiful sexy
women while living in NZ, well the flights to Aus are cheap
🙂
what a awesome read nice Kate .well done
Interestingly Kiwi women are ranked as the most promiscuous in the developed world. A study of the number of sexual partners an individual had over their lifetime carried out by Durex indicated that Kiwi women had more sexual partners than anywhere else. In fact, New Zealand was the ONLY country in the survey where the women had more sexual partners than the men.
The results of the Durex survey were then backed up by findings of research done at Massey University, and a TVNZ Sunday Investigation which revealed that New Zealanders don’t date, they just get drunk and have sex with strangers.
Part 1
Part 2
The situation has got so bad that New Zealand is now a country where foreign men come to for a ‘Sex Holiday.’
This sounds about right. New Zealand women are extremely forward and easy to bed. Furthermore, the ratio of young women to young men amongst the 25-64 demographic is about 100 to 89, so men have the upper hand.
I do not think highly of casual sex, but any males interested in casual sleeping will find it very easy in New Zealand. This will be even more so if you dress well and are in good shape.
I forgot to mention that a very attractive recruiter, who was married and knew I was married, invited me to coffee after I proposed a meeting to discuss changing jobs. After the meeting, she kissed me on the lips. I love my wife and I am faithful, so it was not something that I would do.
I also met with a Kiwi woman for a business/social coffee. I brought my wife along, who told me afterward how angry she was because of this woman’s brazen flirting.
Before I was married, I dated a woman who told me she was married, but wanted to have an affair with me. I declined because it had the potential to become too messy.
New Zealand is a good place for a foreigner to go on a working holiday visa and find plenty of women with whom they can have casual sex. Just make sure not to contract any STDs.
Whoa! I’m an American living in Australia and I can state with confidence that the anti-American sentiment is at least as strong in Australia as it is in NZ. In fact, I’d say that my experiences in NZ were pretty good and that the people are more friendly in NZ than Aus. The negative experiences that people have written about strike very close to home for me.
This place was paradise 20 years ago and a wonderful place to live. Now it’s an unbelievably expensive place with horrible attitude and a big traffic problem.
Im a kiwi who was born and bred and having been reading all these comments (randomly came across this site) and i am shocked of what some people on here experienced. I never thought of us as being racist and against foreigners. I have been to America and loved it and if i see or hear an american i always want talk to them about their country (in a good way)
Yes we suffer from small poppy syndrome but i think Australia is alot more racist than us we never have had any race riots anything like that before
There are small minded kiwis yes just like the would be small minded Americans in the southern states…..having lived in other countries sometimes when you are treated badly the first thing comes to mind is “its because of my race, accent or ethnic origin” without rational thought.
The best place for newly settled migrants (yes i dont like the world immigrant sounds unwelcoming) would be Queenstown prob more foreigners there than kiwis.
I am half white and half Maori and never experiened racism so i cant see a mid western white american being hated on either
Shannon, Thanks for your reply. I like that you took the time to write a positive response. 🙂
Hi Shannon
I know a lot of really lovely New Zealanders who are very much not racist – some even marched against the tour of the Springboks, and the racist aparthiet government in South Africa, during the early 1980s. Or possibly 1979. Which is amazing, and brave and Kiwis like this are the part of the society I love and admire the most. But there are also many NZers who think in stereotypes – like Linda Herrick just the other day in the newspaper (sorry, can’t remember exactly where) who heard an American tourist act like a jerk while on holiday somewhere so Linda took international charge and marched over to her, and tore a strip off her for drone attacks by the USA. (?) Which is odd, as the obnoxious American was throwing a tantrum about breakfast.
There are NZers who are just horrible if they think you are American. I’m Canadian and I’ve copped quite a bit of it… then they apologize when they find I’m Canadian, but jeez, what difference does it make? It’s nice that NZers don’t want to insult me as much as if I were American, but it still feels… uh… bracing, despite the inevitable apology. I would hate to cop all the nasty comments and bitchy digs about my country’s foreign policy.
And NZers who profess to hate the USA are always the ones who are the most opinionated about the society… even when they know nothing and understand nothing about it. They’re always blathering on about the “presidential election”, as though the US has the only president on the planet. Or they’re aping the styles, cocktails and language of Mad Men, thinking it the epitome of cool. It’s weird.
The article you’re referring to is this one http://www.nzherald.co.nz/linda-herrick/news/article.cfm?a_id=107&objectid=10894254
Also read the comments section of the above link, which is mysteriously closed now. There are some very interesting observations made there, e.g.
“And NZers who profess to hate the USA are always the ones who are the most opinionated about the society… even when they know nothing and understand nothing about it. They’re always blathering on about the “presidential election”, as though the US has the only president on the planet. Or they’re aping the styles, cocktails and language of Mad Men, thinking it the epitome of cool. It’s weird.”
I second this. This was totally my experience. Kiwis who write in to sites like this and say “I have witnessed none of this, so therefore you must be ‘doing something’ to attract the behavior” are exhibiting yet another of the traits of their culture. Know-it-all Kiwis who exhibit the most grasping sort of consumerist behavior will hold forth on capitalist Yankee ills etc. and most stubbornly blinkered and jingoistic about how great a place NZ is, will blather about misplaced American patriotism. Not every Kiwi did this. But a much higher percentage of people that one would randomly encounter in a country did this, than in other places we have lived in around the world.
I agree with this, but to live in the culture you just have
to let it be and see it as their own narrowminded-ness cause that
what it is, nothing else. You are not going to change the culture,
esp. a culture that has no self-reflection, awareness and is in
denial about their own issues. US is not that much different to be
frank. And the NZ Gov, Aus Gov, UK Gov and USA Gov have tight
relations. Actually NZ shares secret info. with the Crown and US.
All this is about money issues- people feeling inferior, being
non-crossed cultured and not very educated. It takes 3 years to get
a Bachelors in NZ, another 1-2 years to get a Masters and only 3
years more to get a PhD vs. 4 years to get a Bachelors in USA,
another 3 years to get a Masters and another 4-5 years to get a
PhD. 8 years max for a PhD in NZ vs. 11-12 years in US to get a
PhD. Tells you something about their education and research
system… It is much cheaper than US but the guidance very poor
overall unless you get lucky and most educational/tertiary
institutions are highly disorganized. You get a grade for your
Masters or PhD- coursework is generally not required so your only
grade will be from your thesis or dissertation. If your marker is
bad and you get a low mark from them then you are screwed
and good luck trying to get a re-exam. They allow you to pay for
editors which I am not sure is allowed in US upper education
system. If you are a gay man or hetero-flexible woman, it is very
easy to sleep up your grade I have heard and there are little
ethics regarding this in the education system. Check out Clayton
Weatherston who killed his young student-girlfriend at Otago
University. After this Otago made it look like they were going to
make it a rule that professors and students not sleep together…
Anyway never went far. I was hit up by 2 men and a woman professor while doing my Masters. If I slept with either of my supervisors, they would have helped me more…. Cheers as they say.
” I think if an american presents themselves as just ordinary nice people (without hype, arrogance or competition) then most kiwis will just accept them as they are.” ” I would never be rude to an American in the ways described in postings above, it would be unthinkable and I have never witnessed such in NZ.”
Wishforpeace I’m glad that you’d never be rude, that is really not on. Unfortunately, this sentiment is not shared by, what seems to me, a majority of your countrymen.
I’m an American, living in NZ [small region=50k] for the past 7 years. Granted, not every Kiwi is rude, yet I’m taken aback, nearly on a daily basis at some of the comments, gestures, and attitudes for no particular reason. An accent is no good reason, if it were, get a Kiwi to say “deck”. The whole shifting vowel thing.
Sorry that you got a rough go, harden up, she’ll be right. That’s what I’m told to do here.
You’ve actually hit on THE BIG issue here. The NZ news media, led by The New Zealand Herald and MediaWorks and TVNZ (and all controlled by Australian unions) are the mouthpiece for New Zealand. And, not coincidentally, they are the ones driving the Anti-American attitudes in NZ. I’ve been watching it closely for the past 5 years. When they stir people up, the tide of hate rises drastically.
Their handling of the Kim Dot Com debacle is entirely driven by their hatred of the USA. They’ve turned a major criminal and internet pirate into a kind of fat billionaire Robin Hood, who robs from the “rich” studios (putting thousands of people in the USA out of work) and gives presents to the news media. Then they continue to spread outright lies about Peter Jackson’s productions, even though The Hobbit was propping up the entire economy for nearly three years. Peter Jackson is painted as a collaborator with the evil Americans.
Part of it comes down to this: It’s easy to get advertising money by bashing the USA. Raise some new issue about America, or air a one-sided documentary about inbred hicks or gun-totin grannies in the USA and ratings go up.
Add to that the fact that Australian unions (who have their hands in every media outlet in New Zealand) want Peter Jackson’s non-union productions to fail, not just because they are non-union, but because they are competing for the same few productions. If no movies come to NZ to shoot and post, they’ll go to Melbourne instead. America-bashing is the fastest way to attack Sir Peter.
And the saddest thing is that the Kiwis have no idea that they (and their media) are being manipulated by Australians. The Ozzy unions have, very cynically, decided to pander to NZers prejudices, hatreds, and general small-mindedness….and it always works.
I’m not saying that the Australians caused it. Clearly there was an underlying xenophobic tall-poppy American-hating streak in this society to begin with. The Ozzies have simply fanned that flame to a blaze here. And it’s working. The NZ economy is swirling around the toilet on it’s way back down again. I don’t know if the NZ Herald or John Campbell or Nick D have any idea how much they hurt this little country, but I suspect they don’t care.
Who IS the mouthpiece for New Zealand?
I find it strange that there are so many comments here ragging on NZers all being narrow-minded, racist, ignorant, money-grubbing morons who hate everyone and everything, when you don’t seem to realise that the original post is not at ALL representative of the average NZer.
Learn to take things with a grain of salt. Be a critical thinker. The original OP obviously has had bad encounters with americans and has taken to the internet to vent their frustrations.
Don’t assume that that poster is the mouthpiece for NZ because it makes you look silly when you respond with vitriol. In fact, it makes you no better than that original poster.
English Physicist Brian Cox during a TED conference on the CERN Supercollider:
“Now, I don’t think [Ernest Rutherford] meant to insult the rest of science, although he was from New Zealand, so it’s possible.”
We had problems being pigeonholed in New Zealand too. I couldn’t believe the number of total strangers who took issue with us over the U.S. government’s stupid policy decisions. As if we had personally rubberstamped them. Glad to be home now, as imperfect as it is, and out of New Zealand. You can go to the end of the world and not escape stupidity. You’ll just lighten your pockets in so doing.
Remember, NZ is the only “real democracy” out there.
That’s what I kept getting told and was frequently heard.
You want to know what really sucks? There was a 2 million person march on Washington with signs saying “Impeach Obama” and others with him painted like the Joker after his national policies had driven the country into more serious debt and his promise to take the country out of Iraq was not delivered on. What was shown in the national news? President Obama took a goodwill trip to the Midwest to read to school children. It was barely covered by any other media outlet.
In my opinion, the world sees what the media portrays and the media does NOT represent the millions upon millions of Americans who do strongly disagree with the foreign policies in action in the last many decades, who are disgusted by them, who do speak out and protest, who do write to their representatives and do vote. Also in my opinion, an individual American’s vote doesn’t mean very much when you factor in the way it is tabulated. So millions of people are unfairly typecast as aggressive, domineering, unintelligent, self-absorbed fat people who believe it is their birthright to lay claim on the whole Earth and order every other country around. I’m sorry but I am not like that and the vast majority of people I know are not like that.
I happen to be an American, and I’m living and working in Auckland. I have been involved with my Kiwi for about four years now. I’m not loud, I’m not obese, I have a genius IQ but I don’t go around shoving that in people’s faces, I try to be as nice to people as I’d want them to be to be, etc. I’ve had two separate people tell me in the year I’ve been here, both older Kiwi men, that I should go back to America because they hate Americans. It really shocked me. What’s more, I’m Native American, as in Native American Indian. To pigeon-hole me as a white, arrogant dominator because I’m American is really narrow-minded. My entire race was nearly wiped off the face of the planet so I know exactly what it means to be oppressed and I would never oppress anyone nor condone any politician or group which did seek to oppress people. I voted for people who had sane foreign policies involving the US staying at home and minding our own business.
America is also HUGE. The entire population of New Zealand could fit into New York City with a little bit of room left over. When you’re talking about so many millions of people, it is impossible to make such broad generalities with any hope for accuracy! Americans are African American, Hispanic, White, Asian, and Native American, in the main, probably in that order, with many other European immigrants living and working in the country. There are also plenty of Canadians who come over the boarder to live and work. You’re talking about such a mixing of nationalities and cultures that from city to city, state to state, the differences in opinions on politics and economics and world affairs varies vastly. To say all Americans agree on these matters is to be ignorant of what (and who) America is truly comprised of.
Like I say, I’m disgusted by many of our actions abroad, the Vietnam War being an example. But you know what? I do blame the two-party political system which basically hijacked the country because I know many Vietnam War veterans, one of them my step-father who was just a kid out of school when he was forcefully drafted. You were either drafted into the war or you faced jail and destitution. The protests were widespread across the country and the protesters often beaten by the police and gassed. One man I worked with who was a Vietnam Veteran had been exposed to Agent Orange and seriously ill ever since. There were similarly many protests to the Iraqi war, media coverage was VERY scant. Many kids I went to school with from kindergarten all the way up through high school graduation enlisted in the army as a way to get a college education and went over to fight in the middle east and many come back disgusted because what they’d been told they were fighting for was not the case at all.
My point is that you can’t say all Americans are this or all Americans are that. You need to actually pinpoint exactly who you’re talking about. For me, I’ve narrowed it down to the two-party political system which goes something like this: Republican party gives a candidate to the people to vote for, Democratic party gives a candidate to the people to vote for, both are usually worse than the Devil and there’s often a few quite good choices from other parties like Libertarian (which believes in running the country on the Constitution, a sane document that is actually the exact opposite of the way our country has been acting for the last two decades or so, on the “world stage”) but it is posed as though to vote for any other party is to “waste” your vote because most people are going to vote Republican or Democrat. Then, when the votes are all tallied, the electoral college votes and can tip it either way. It is rigged. The President you see serving in office and causing mayhem is not the one that the majority of American people want, it COULDN’T be, because many don’t vote because they don’t like the candidates.
I’m not “right” all the time, but I do know that I do not resemble the type of American you’ve described in your bullet points and very few people that I know or even know of back in America are like that.
As a Kiwi traveller, I haven’t had much issues with Americans that I have met travelling (very good conversationalists), or any other travellers from other countries for that matter. That being said I think every country has their share of closed minded people, it’s the ones you find when you’re deep in a foreign country (US, NZ or other) which are the ones that don’t leave the gold fish bowl world of a small town they’ve lived in all their life which tend to have really narrow minded views.
My my, what to think? My impression, and the impression of my fellow USA friends is that New Zealand is a beautiful and scenic nation full of friendly people. I’ve never heard anyone here in the USA say anything bad about New Zealand or the population there, ever, and I am not a young person by any means. Governments worldwide are bowing to the influences of global oligarchs and becoming corrupt. Mine is no exception, but I am not so ignorant as to believe the populations in other nations is responsible for the actions of their governments ran amok. Most people worldwide simply want to live in peace and have a safe home to raise their families. When we treat others in manner other than we wish to be treated, it does not say good things for our character. When we choose to believe the sensationalism and propaganda that is designed to control us and separate us, we then fail to behave as civilized human beings, and choose ignorance as a lifestyle. I have always welcomed those from around the globe as a distant neighbor and a friend. I would ask, why can’t every stranger we meet be seen as a friend we haven’t met yet? What am I seeing here? It appears my perceptions of NZ were in error. Perhaps a sizable segment of the NZ population has some growing up to do?
No, your original assumptions were indeed correct. You can’t use the tiny number of comments on this website as a significant indicator that the majority of NZ’s population sucks.
Bob, I’ve been here for two years. I have yet to make a Kiwi friend, and it’s not for lack of trying. I have made friends with many other ex-pats so I don’t think it’s something that I’m doing.
I’ve been told by Kiwis that “Americans are aggressive, so I’m afraid to piss you off” Therefore I’m not going to talk to you. I’ve been told that we’re arrogant, loud, obnoxious know-it alls. Which I thought was funny because the person who told me that was acting exactly like that!!! I’ve been called dirty names for being an American. One guy at a pub was harassing me to go home with him one night and I kept on telling him no- that I was married and if he talked to me again I’d ask the bartender to ask him to leave as I was feeling threatened. He replied that all American girls are sluts and cheat on their partners, and I didn’t need to involved the bartender, but I needed to lighten up.
That’s another thing, whenever you stand up for yourself you’re told to “lighten up” and “get a sense of humor”…. ????
I was also told that I was too friendly and I smiled too much and that nobody here would trust me because of that. I am a very friendly person by nature. I love to meet new people, but it seems that the only people who would like to meet me are other ex-pats from other countries.
I have been at my husband’s work functions and accidentally walked in on a group telling anti-American jokes. They hushed up very quickly and disbanded. If they were just telling them in fun, they wouldn’t have acted like they were “caught” doing something they shouldn’t have been.
I don’t know, when we came here years ago as tourists, people were so friendly. Now, I feel like I’m a dirty bug that someone wants to step on!
whether people admit it or not, thats so called spying and intelligence was how i felt how things have happened back in the 95 how two faced people are and how people cheat and having evil people in positions of power for sensitive roles involving communications, commerce etc. of course in theory having monitoring is justified under the name of safety and security. however, in reality, the people dont practise what they preach, and the people who accuse others of being a security threat are actually the thieves that threaten the lives of others themselves. who are in the position to claim they have ulmost correct judgement of whats true or false, whats right or wrong, when they could well be brainwashed, confused individuals that hold biased thinking, so distorted they only realise they made the wrong decision or accusation years down the road but it was already too late?
@Kelly – You’re a “Hater” – that says a lot about you and others like you. Sadly, I encounter people like you (and worse) every day in New Zealand. You say you like Americans as individuals, but you hate our country – how does that work? Are you constantly looking for the slightest indication in any American of something you disapprove of?
When you say you hate America as a country – what does that mean, exactly? Do you hate everything the US stands for? Do you even know much about the US? Have you ever lived there? What makes you think that New Zealand is so great compared to the US, or for that matter, any other nation? Where did you learn to hate the US?
Fyi, MILLIONS protested in America against the second Gulf War. Most Americans opposed the war and still do. Compare that to New Zealand where just last week the Prime Minister declared it’s OK to spy on the citizens with the state intelligence services and hardly anyone bats an eye. Wait, there was a major protest in Wellington last week … of 50 people? In the US, there have been numerous lawsuits, protests, and political opposition. In New Zealand, what exactly do kiwis do? They blame America for everything, that’s what.
New Zealand has lived peacefully for most of its existence as a “colony” of the UK, and under the military and economic protection of the US, the UK and Australia. You should be grateful.
Most Americans opposed the war and still do. Compare that to New Zealand where just last week the Prime Minister declared it’s OK to spy on the citizens with the state intelligence services and hardly anyone bats an eye.
I figure they spy on their citizens the moment they put intelligence agents at university.
They’ve just been kind enough to make it official.
I certainly feel terrible you had so much trouble with what seems like a rotten crowd of Yanks. It is amazing that on what seems like a helping, volunteer project that they treated you so badly. And on behalf of my fellow countrypeople, I apologize! Just like Sonya said above, American accents do bother Kiwis sometimes. They seem to react viscerally to them. In New Zealand, I was always irritated by the smugness of Kiwi facial expressions. They seemed to sneer a lot and often came out with graceless, sarcastic comments about America and acted like they always knew better ,and Americans were idiots or something. Maybe not intending to offend. But it was a real turnoff. Surprising how many cultural differences can exist between two peoples who both speak English.
kiwis are an incredibly smug bunch
Growing up in NZ I always had a pretty good image of America in my mind. I thought America did well to help end WWII and that mean’t a lot to me personally, although I knew America had her issues and problems I thought they were good guys overall. However moving overseas to volunteer with a group of Americans challenged my thinking. It was overall a very difficult experience, I witnessed a lot of internal competition, I was verbally abused, accused of thinking things, manipulated, taken advantage of and looked down on for coming from NZ. The american’s I worked with excluded me from their friendships and made me feel isolated. Along with many other comments they found it unbelievable that NZ’s ate food such as pizza, was a developed nation and thought I was making it up. I was asked if NZ’s use lambs blood to clean things which is an insulting question to ask someone. They didn’t know where NZ or Australia was and made belittling comments about it. I was spoken down to as if I (along with all NZ’s) was a second class citizen. I was excluded from group photo’s and they took all the credit for my work and the success of the projects I worked on. I was criticized and humiliated publicly for my facial expressions and misunderstood for saying things such as ‘that’s ok’ and ‘i don’t mind’. In the end I felt like I could hardly breathe at work, I always tried to make my face as blank as possible and never knew what to say or when the next verbal outburst against me would occur. It was so stressful for me that I had to quit. As much as I believed in the cause they stood for I couldn’t take it anymore and continue to offer my volunteer services. I must admit that because of the level of devastation this experience caused me I have felt more resentful towards Americans than before, however I must say this is only because of the ones I met, not because of growing up in NZ. I have heard american jokes in NZ along with Irish jokes, blonde jokes and Aussie jokes – and i always took them just as they were – jokes. It was actually meeting Americans and encountering first hand arrogance and abuse that affected me. I have since met other very nice considerate Americans who don’t view everything in life as a competition or opportunity to gain power and use others and so I do extend grace to the rest of the American population who would never treat another in the way I experienced. I hope the same grace can be extended to Kiwis. I think if an american presents themselves as just ordinary nice people (without hype, arrogance or competition) then most kiwis will just accept them as they are. That’s how i feel about it anyway and in-spite of my experiences I still try to give American’s the opportunity to present themselves before judging them. I would never be rude to an American in the ways described in postings above, it would be unthinkable and I have never witnessed such in NZ, I am truly sorry if these things have occurred and extend my sincere apologies to anyone who has received any such mistreatment. I know what this mistreatment feels like and don’t wish it on anyone.
Just exactly was the make-up and purpose of this “group?” The United States is a very, very large nation, and it has people from all walks of life from all over the world; it seems you just happened to get stuck with a few unpleasant wretches. Your story reminds me of a clique of self-reinforcing “mean girls” that need adult supervision. Sorry, it happened, but you can generally go another neighborhood, town, city or state in the US and find a very different universe.
There are many unhappy people in the US nowadays from more than two decades of corrosive, divisive politics and predatory economics. As a result, many people in the US have become hyper-competitive, high-strung and, at times, explosive. Many people are forced to live a type-A lifestyle but with a thin skin, due to the increasing societal pressures from government, police, war, and economic decline.
The part about “excluding you” sounds odd – you can usually find common ground to connect. Americans tend to be individualists, and if they “pick on you” it is, despite all indications to the contrary, it is an interpersonal competitive thing, not a racial/ethnic put-down. Did you contribute to the problem by droning on about New Zealand? Sorry, not meant to offend, but I notice that quite frequently.
@Calvin “Did you contribute to the problem by droning on about New Zealand? Sorry, not meant to offend, but I notice that quite frequently”. Yes I noticed this too, how much better everything is in New Zealand and criticisms of America. They always seem surprised when anyone takes umbrage. This is because they are brought up with no manners and taught that what they say is simply the truth and can be stated to any innocent and undeserving person rather than Kiwi cultural brainwashing. It’s possible that comments and an attitude such as you and I have typically experienced in NZ triggered the “competitiveness” as Americans tried to show her that they actually have some expertise in a subject and didn’t appreciate the arrogance. They often seem unaware of their own arrogance. In return, they say the same of us. Funny.
As a Kiwi, the Americans I have meet in person a great, but generally they come from Colorado. So I would say that I like Americans, but I definitely hate their country. Can’t stand anything that America stands for. The kill millions of innocent people all over the world and then try and act like they are the good guys. Look at Iraq!!
“kill millions of innocent people all over the world…look at Iraq”
How many millions did they kill in Iraq?
I am curious, Kelly – what does America stand for?
this is exactly what people are saying. We as Americans feel judged by many people in this country, based on where we are from. You like Americans but you hate—- HATE? Such a strong word— the country. How much time have you spent there? I lived there for 40 + years and have never seen the whole country. New Zealand could fit into the US just over 36 times. Yet you hate it? All of it?
I’m not saying we need to be accepted with open arms, but I would like people to meet me and try to get to know me as a person before judging me based on where I’m from.
hi, i am maori and from the country, and not all of us r bad. yes there are wa#kers who i’d love 2 smack out who my own people but what about the good 1’s out there?? don’t we get a little credit. yeh although people of all nationalities have a different status in life, to me i don’t believe that 1 persons integrity is worth more then another. thats what my father always told. it is what it is and we just have to except that. i am married to an aussie girl and am very much happy. and we met back home. (nz) her family welcomed me into their lives as too my family. we have had our ups and downs from the odd person but i have never let that come between us. i’m sorry to here all this. but just so people know. we are not bad.
I’ve read many of these comments posted here that I find remarkable! I know its been nearly a dozen years since I visited NZ, but I traveled through the North and South Islands extensively, and granted I never became involved in any relationships, I stayed at a couple places for about a month and knew the owner/operator families well and their teen age children. All of them were people I respected and liked very much, with a different, simple lifestyle.
Their friends were close to them, and treated me like family. I never once got the impression they did not like Americans nor discriminated against any particular group, except they have been lagging in treating their Indigenous people with discrimination about on the scale of hos whites treat non-whites here in the states. I find prejudice deplorable where ever I is and I don’t usually associate with those who are, unless I feel I can change tings for the better through my example.
I stayed n Hastings and Christchurch most of he time during my vacation and go along wit all the people I met regardless of age or race. Maybe I’m a little naiveté?
James
Well my friend you were lucky.. right place right time
Hawkes Bay is a nice place but also a gang region that would likely go unoticed by a visitor but let me assure you even though I do not know of your upbringing.. being a school kid through the 80s – early 90s in Hawkes Bay was not easy for a caucasian kid of small stature.. having to deal with so called indigenous people who you need to do a little more research on… bullying and racial hatred was a part of an average week or weekend out riding our bikes, racists are throughout the world and everyone has an excuse it seems! NZ is a small place.. yeah there are nice people in NZ and a lot in the USA Canada Australia Indonesia but you have to travel further to find that there are nasty corrupt people where all may seem pretty and inocent
There are terrible people from every region Ive been to.
the comment about afrians and Asians cursed is very true and correct about nz. they proactively come and destroy you, such as defaming you, robbing and stealing your property or assets or any outputs/work credits, wrecking your life and sabotaging you in any other ways, driven by unexplainable hate or jealousy. as such it is impossible to remain civil and reason with them or deal with it in a logical legal fashion. it is more like feeding into a bunch of lions in the wild life waiting to be raped and murdered. if and after you’re raped robbed and murdered, if there is anyone that places your case to the judiciary judge, maybe they just hang around and see it as entertainment, then discard the issue and business is as usual until no more sheep and human sheep goes there to be raped.
i lived and worked in new zealand for a relativley short period over a decade ago , i suspect the reason that kiwis dont like americans is because americans are very vocal and assertive about things that are out of order and service in general
kiwis cannot stand criticism of any kind , they simply dont want to hear it under any circumstance and will freeze you out if you do complain , here is an example of my own past experience
1 ., while adressing a landlord , my house is freezing = ” stop whinning ”
2. same again , the water in my shower is cold = ” stop whining ”
3.to an employer , the brakes dont work on that car you gave me = ” stop whining ”
4.to an employer , my office manager is a sociopathic control freak who is driving me crazy = ” stop whining ”
5. to a restaranteur , that steak you served me is not cooked properly = ” stop whining “
wow!! guys I like these discussions out here!!! I think some of you guys (americans )described kiwis exactly the way I see them, “bad customer service , impoliteness”, when you go to a restaurant looks like they are making you a favor of serving you! what happens is that I ve talked to some kiwi people and only those who have lived abroad NZ are more open minded other wise you will deal with wild and rude people, one thing I noticed is that if you give back this rudeness to them , they tend to respect you more if you take every thing they impose to you you are dead!!! I am a brazilian living in North island for 10 months now! and honestly I got disappointed when I noticed this, when I started understanding the kiwis, on the other hand when I visited USA back in 2011 my perception was that american are much more open and easy going than kiwis, they are warmer, when I was still in Brazil I met two american girls and talked a lot to them, I met an american guy as well and their enthusiasm is different I mean it because I am highly qualified software professional who was hired to come here and teach kiwis and deliver high level projects and the kiwis tend to hear you and respect your opinions until they got to know the subject then after this stage they start confronting you instead of keeping the supposedly “team work ” as in the beginning, so my conclusion is that they are only care about their interests , the other day I was in AA to get some info about the procedure to get the driver’s license and there was a guy n front of me talking to the girl over the counter and seemed that she was hanging out with him that she took ages to finish helping him but when was my turn she said after my questions !”here are the papers , read it, it contains all the info you are looking for!!” I got very frustrated!! I was about to tell her , “it is not because it is a Saturday and I am wearing sport shoes ,shorts, cap and looking 23 years old that i am nothing!!” on a daily basis I wear social and formal even though I look so much younger than I am !!! the other day I went to IRD to check if the amount of taxes I was paying monthly was really correct!!! (I pay 2300 taxes a month to NZ govern.) she said you don’t have any right your income is huge!! jesus I got mad with that!!! may I should go to US where people are much nicer, warmer, women are prettier etc……where things really happens
Auckland is much more cosmopolitan. If you have not lived outside Auckland, you might as well have stayed in America.
Diana Malin is apparently married to a Mike Malin, who is a kiwi.
As an American who has lived here for eight years, I have met two types of American expats: (1) the saccharin syncophants, many of whom are married to kiwis and suffer from a cultural Stockholm Syndrome, identifying with their captors; (2) Americans who deeply regret their choice to move to NZ and leave as fast as they can. The syncophants will bad-mouth the US to kiwis, play along with their captors, agree with kiwi disgust about all things American, and defend or excuse kiwi behaviour when they behave badly. The syncophants would betray their fellow Americans for personal advantage. It’s good to know which side you are on, Diana.
Too funny! And too true. I run into the Stockholm Syndrome sorts all the time.
Yeah, know the types of which you speak. The sycophants are nauseating. Stepford wives. Stockholm Syndrome is right. Smug to the point of making you want to puke, hating their country of birth with a virulent unreasonableness, while refusing to see any of New Zealand’s problems. They’re just awful. I also know inbetween sorts who are stuck there for awhile (usually family reasons) and don’t like it, but they don’t dare be vocal about it because they want to be at peace with Kiwi neighbors and acquaintances, not to mention people they work with, and won’t talk much about it with you. Even though you know quite well what they think from what they let slip.
Drop the we in your gross generalizations about the Kiwi opinion of Americans. I am an
American living in New Zealand who has been extremely well treated and I have quite a
few close Kiwi friends. Your article says more about you than Kiwi’s. You give them a bad
name.
Speak only for yourself. Diana
Thank you for your input Diana, how long have you been in New Zealand and is your partner a Kiwi?
New Zealand is a beautiful country, especially the West Coast of the South Island. I really like Wellington as well.
Judging from the Kiwi and American comments, nothing has really changed in NZ since I lived there in 2001. I remember living in Christchurch from 2001 – 2002 and had to constantly hear racist comments about Blacks (I’m African American) and generic stereotypes about US citizens. I was called negro at least once a week and I wasn’t allowed to correct anyone that negro is an offensive term because if I did that, then I was labeled a know-it-all American that was a bit up herself. When I finally began to correct people about not calling me a negro, then I was deemed too politically correct to live in NZ. It was very frustrating to say the least and one of the reasons I left the country. I thought it was fascinating that White Kiwis felt that they had the privilege to inform me of what I should and shouldn’t be called. I felt like I was living in some bizarre version of the deep South in the 1960’s.
Whenever I tell Polynesians from Australia or NZ and White Australians about my experiences in NZ, they believe me and empathize. Whenever I tell White Kiwis they think that I’m lying and fabricating everything to just to give NZ a bad reputation.
Education is the key; unfortunately, it seemed that every negative stereotype, generalization, and media image that are portrayed by the media about the US are consumed wholeheartedly. Critical analysis of the US media doesn’t seem to occur and media images aren’t filtered or questioned.
The other thing that I noticed was a double standard. It was ok for Kiwis to make racist jokes about Black people and it was considered all good fun. If I made racist jokes about Kiwis then I was told that I was being too serious, I needed to lighten up, and that my jokes hurt their feelings. The double standard.
Overall I found Australia to be a more pleasant country to live in than NZ. In my experiences of traveling through 23 countries, I feel that Aussies are more cosmopolitan, accepting of diversity, and less prone to mass stereotyping.
The other thing that I have to say is that we, US citizens, living abroad need to complain more to Hollywood about the types of images that are projected about US culture overseas. Hollywood is not doing us any favors. The Western media industrial complex churns out manufactured, plastic, images of what the US is and it’s false information which is being presented as valid information. It’s frightening when you think about it.
Simple stereotypes like all Californians surf and all Texans are cowboys to harmful stereotypes like all Blacks live in gross poverty and all Native Americans live teepees.
The next time I visit the South Pacific, I’ll be make an extended stay in Australia and skipping NZ.