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New Zealand’s laws against Chinese had a devastating impact on individual lives and communities. But they had a much bigger impact on New Zealand as a nation. Restricting certain types of migrants started with the Chinese, but soon spread to the disabled¹ and all those who weren’t white and British. Until 1987, these policies made New Zealand a predominantly white nation.

[1] 1882 Imbecile Passengers Act

In 1881 the New Zealand Government introduced its first anti-Chinese law. The Chinese Immigrants Act 1881 was meant to restrict the number of Chinese coming to New Zealand. It imposed a £10 poll tax on all Chinese entering the country and limited the number of Chinese who could be carried onindividual ships. It was the first of many laws targeted at keeping Chinese out, and later – excluding them from society. For example, withdrawing the right to naturalisation and socialwelfare, and laws restricting Chinese businesses.

The main effect on Chinese was to separate families, sometimes for generations. Most settlers were unable to afford to bring their wives and children to New Zealand. This was especially the case when the poll-tax increased to £100 in 1896 (over a year’s average wage for a New Zealand male).

The poll-tax was the thin end of the wedge for immigration restriction, and provided the model for excluding other “undesirables”. In 1920, the doors to Chinese and other non-British, shut almost completely when a new policy was introduced that required every individual migrant to get the Minister of Customs’ permission to enter. As historian Keith Sinclair concluded, the policy achieved a “White New Zealand by stealth”.  A “colour-blind” immigration policy was not generally introduced until 1987. 

At a national level, the effect of “the Chinese question” was significant. In addition to the demographic impacts, the issue was a testing ground for New Zealand’s legislative independence, and its ability to make its own laws without Britain’s foreign policy oversight.

This process of public debate and law making, created an environment in which Chinese and other Asians became a fundamental “other” in New Zealand’s culturalidentity.   

On 12 February 2002, the Government formally apologised to poll-tax payers and their descendants for statutory discrimination, recognising the “considerable hardship it imposed and that the cost of it and the impact of other discriminatory immigration practices split families apart.”[1] The trust that was set up as part of the Government’s reconciliation package has helped fund this website.

[1] Helen Clark, 12 February 2002, https://www.beehive.govt.nz/feature/poll-tax-apology-marks-new-beginning-28

Explore New Zealand’s anti-Chinese laws and policies

In all there were more than 100 laws and policies targeting Chinese wanting to come toNew Zealand and those already living here. These are the key ones:

1881: Chinese Immigration Act. Imposed poll tax of £10.00, tonnage restriction of one Chinese passenger to every to tons of ship’s cargo.  

1896: Chinese Immigrants Act Amendment Act.  Tonnage restriction increased to one to 200, poll-tax increased to £100. Repealed in 1944.

1898: Old Age Pension Act.  No pension for Chinese people whether naturalised or local-born. Repealed in 1936.

1901:  Opium Prohibition Act 1901.  Police able to enter Chinese home without search warrant. Repealed in 1965.

1908: Naturalisation of Chinese New Zealanders abolished on 4 February 1908. Reinstated in 1952.

1911: Widows’ Pensions Act.  Chinese excluded. Repealed in 1936.

1920:  Immigration Restriction Act Amendment Act. Immigration policy changes no longer need to be passed by law. Immigration of non-British by permit only.  Thumb-printing and reading test for Chinese abolished.  Repealed in 1944.

1926: Family Allowances Act.  Not to apply to Chinese families, whether local-born or naturalised. Repealed in 1936.

1938:  Social Security Act, Chinese entitled to all social security benefits

1952:  Naturalisation for Chinese reintroduced, but only for “assimilated” types.

See the longer list of laws and policies