As a kid growing up in Mangere, a once rural farming community rapidly being subdivided to provide low cost homes for newly weds and new arrivals, It never occurred to me that the multi cultural environment in which I lived was considered by some to be unusual in what was largely a mono cultural society.
I grew up playing rugby with kids from the neighbourhood who were "white" like me, most born at St Mary's Maternity Hospital in Otahuhu or National Women's in Greenlane. light brown Maori boys and darker Islanders. Our parents tended to be young and industrious, and many spoke with the strong accent of recent arrivals, most Poms or Dutchies, and we all got along - at least for the most part. There were also Maori and Island kids, solid and strong, early developers and great footie players, and Chinese from the market gardens still on the fringes of the sub Comments are closed.
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Don MalcolmA perfect day involves being on my Harley with a long ride ahead.
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