Colonialism and Race: Blocking Indian Immigration in New Zealand, Early Twentieth Century

Abstract

The article essentially deals with the legal tangles which stood in the way of Indian immigration to New Zealand in the early years of the twentieth century. The fear of intrusion of ‘Hindoo coolies’ led to the introduction of exclusionary laws by New Zealand. These primarily sought to preserve the element of ‘whiteness’ in the colonial settlement. The politicians of the Labour Party were equally active as the rest in campaigning for preserving both the race and the empire. There were lengthy discussions in the New Zealand Parliament over the civilising mission of the ‘white man’. Apprehensions arising out of the ‘coolie’ migration from Fiji and the other South West Pacific islands along with the transnational movement of a peripatetic Indian labour force were possibly the main reasons behind the drafting of racist legislation. The compulsory requirement of passing of an English language test practically closed the gates for Indian immigration in the first half of the twentieth century.