Immigration

The short story <The Unfinished Fence> make me feel sad. I think there are two main weapons kills Jimi in this story, one is Jimi canoot fit himself into this New Zealand European-dominated society, one is the stereotype of islanders by some white people. In the story, Jimi is always missing his home country Fiji, the letter from his wife is his "only consolation in an unfriendly country". I am also an immigrant as Jimi, he is from Fiji, I am from China, but I think I can understand his feelings very well. Missing the homecoutry is a hopeless feeling, my Chinese friend used to describe the feeling about missing China as "as if been drowned". It sounds very sharp, but I actually quite agree. Living in European-dominated country, I always feel I am an outsider, and I have no where to escape. I have to accept the fact that I am an outsider and I am marginalised. This sort of feeling does not always come to me, but when it comes, it can totally destroy my mood.

As we learnt in class about the Pacific immigration mainly come to New Zealand for a better education and better career, I think to persue a better education and career would be one main reasons for all the immigration in the world. Jimi's feeling of loneliness in New Zealand can reflect a theme that can apply to the world setting about immigrations find hard to fit into the new country. I have some Chinese friends go to study in Singapore, America, they all tell me they miss China very much. I also have Iran, Japanese friends who are studying in New Zealand, they tell that they miss their home coutry.  Feeling lonely, feeling marginalised, it is one of the reason causing Jimi's suicide. Because under this loneliness, Jimi became very sensitive, so he choose to end his life after been insulted.

I researched about the 1970s dawn raid we learnt in class, and I find it miserable. Pacific overstayers are caught in those sudden raid, and been prosecuted. This is serious racism and deep insult to Pacific people. Economic downturn is not a good reason for government to do this, I don't understand why there is not an alternative to solve the overstay problems. Jimi is a Pacific descedant, so he should know this part of sad history. When he is insulted by the two white policemen, he does not protest, does not forgive either, but chooses to end his life. I think Jimi is feeling that racism has never stopped against Pacific people, he cannot see any hope, therefore he chooses death to avoid this unfair world. I feel so sorry for Jimi, this is a very sad story.