Asian Report for 21 April 2009 ( 15′ 03″ )
This week on the Asian report we meet Danny Lee and Ken Chan, two local born Chinese who served during the Second World War.
From Afternoons on 21 Apr 2009
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Fight that helped end hostilities at home
By Lincoln Tan
5:00 AM Thursday Apr 24, 2008
Attending the Anzac Day service used to be an annual routine for World War II veteran Daniel Chan Lee.
But
the 93-year-old former transport soldier at 7 Royal Military Transport
Unit says he is now too old for parades and will instead spend tomorrow
remembering those who died fighting for New Zealand, including his
brother.
Willie, his elder brother, who served as a fighter pilot
in the Air Force, died when his plane crashed in Cheshire, England, in
1942.
Mr Lee, one of six boys, also had a younger brother, Harry, who served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Mr
Lee said New Zealand in those days had laws that discriminated against
the Chinese, who were singled out as "undesirable aliens".
It had
regulations such as the poll-tax, tonnage ratio, literacy test and
thumb printing to limit the number of Chinese coming to New Zealand.
However,
Mr Lee said many of the local-born Chinese still considered it to be an
honour to be able to serve the country as soldiers, and he said the
Army was a "like a different world".
"There was no racism there because we were all united with a common desire of wanting to serve our country, our home."
Mr
Lee said his brother Willie is proof of how "colour blind New Zealand
gets" when it comes to the Anzacs and other soldiers who died at war.
Willie's name is listed on the Roll of Honour in Auckland War Memorial
Museum's Hall of Memories.
"It didn't matter that he was Chinese; Willie was treated just as every other fallen soldier in the war."
Mr Lee said it had been his dream to fight overseas, but the Army said he looked too much like a Japanese.
Dr
Manying Ip, an associate professor of Asian studies at the University
of Auckland, wrote in her book Dinkum Aliens: Chinese New Zealanders in
World War II: "In spite of their marginalised status, the hostile social
climate, and their very small number (2,943 in the 1936 census),
patriotic Chinese New Zealanders, mostly local-born, served in the Air
Force, Army and Home Guard.
"World War II marked the crucial turning point for the Chinese community in New Zealand," Professor Ip wrote.
"The
status of Chinese rose markedly, and Chinese market-gardeners [who grew
produce for the troops] were classified as essential industry workers,
their patriotic fundraising efforts within New Zealand and the valiant
war resistance back in China were praised and acknowledged."
Mr Lee said he would not attend a service this year.
"By
serving in the Army, the Chinese proved that we are just as loyal to
New Zealand as anyone else, and I guess in that alone, the victory is
ours."
Chinese had barred from naturalisation since 1908, but
after World War II, New Zealand laws were changed to allow them to apply
for citizenship.
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10505916&hc_location=ufi
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