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New Zealand’s multicultural, multi-religious, multi-ethnic society is worth celebrating with a Te Tiriti-based public holiday says Multicultural New Zealand (MNZ) president Pancha Narayanan.
We’re a multicultural nation
At present, 28 percent of us identify as coming from a non-European migrant background Narayanan says.
A 2021 MNZ initiative has already seen Multicultural Councils across the country celebrating a Te Tiriti-based National Multicultural Day on the last Friday of August, he says.
On that day MNZ encourages migrants to make their heritage visible by wearing cultural clothing, sharing traditional food with friends and colleagues, and speaking their native language.
A specific day off to visibly celebrate our different cultures would allow us to “thank our ancestors” Narayanan says.
He also suggests a second paid day off could be considered so New Zealanders could celebrate an event that is culturally significant to them.
This could – for example – be taken on a religious holiday that is not otherwise celebrated as a public holiday in New Zealand.
Rather than a set day, people would be able to choose when to take this day off and have it written into their contracts for work.
“New Zealand would be the richer for it” and “ethnic communities will flourish” he says.
Taking the suggestion to Parliament
Rather than celebrate this year’s Te Tiriti-based National Multicultural Day last Friday, MNZ decided to celebrate it at Parliament last Monday so he could introduce his proposal to our politicians.
Minister for Ethnic Communities Melissa Lee joined the celebrations saying she is proud of New Zealand’s diversity which continues to develop and expand.
“There is immense value in the many cultural celebrations that are already being held around New Zealand throughout the year” she says.
Cultural celebrations “help to grow social cohesion in New Zealand” which is “already very multicultural, with more than 160 ethnicities represented”.
Lee is encouraging MNZ to make a petition to Parliament about its proposal, where democratic processes would debate and decide the outcome.
Just what that outcome will be is open to speculation.
It’s likely though that the ACT Party will hesitate because of the cost to business.
It could involve sacrificing a current paid public holiday.
As it is, ACT wants to get rid of the 2 January holiday to allow for Matariki, which was introduced as a new holiday in 2022.
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