Recently, a India man in Ōtara, Auckland, New Zealand, posted a post that sparked heated discussions among netizens.
01
"Ask someone to help me fight"
This man shakes man online:
"I'm Indian and I'm looking for a Maori woman, not for a date, but just for her to help me hit my Samoan neighbor."
Many netizens commented below, representing people from different countries and ethnicities to apply.
Some people say, "You should find a Tongan to do this job for you".
Someone else said, "My neighbor is Filipino and she thinks she can do the job."
Netizens said that Asians do have strength, "I won't provoke people who can make spring rolls." You also never know what the matriarch of Asia or other cultures will throw at you when you play a prank. ”
It was even mentioned that "Otara is not suitable for beginners".
Ōtara is indeed a special existence in the impression of many people, and many locals also feel that it is "dangerous", as can be seen from this online post looking for someone to help everyone.
02
Brave the "Dangerous Ground"
But what the hell is this place, a blogger recently bravely went to see the feedback he sent from the front. Bloggers from Ireland and Germany came together to Ōtara, which many people avoid.
They talk to the residents in the local square, and the locals are friendly.
They also visited a local store stocked with taro, a popular ingredient for Pacific Islanders.
I also visited a fried goods shop opened by a (presumably Chinese).
Finally, I bought Samoan-style food at a Samoan-owned restaurant - 5 croquettes for 1 New Zealand dollar, and the price was also very good.
At the end of the day, they chatted with a girl from a musical instrument shop, who said, "Because we were born in this land, we are very passionate about this place."
The Ōtara in the video, the people are friendly and culturally diverse, and it doesn't look as scary as expected.
Many residents who live in Ōtara love this video.
One immigrant from Sri Lanka said: "They may not be that rich, but the culture and community in these areas are very rich. Crime rates may be high compared to the rest of Auckland (I don't think it's as high as it used to be), but the community is united and resilient, people look after each other, and neighbors support each other. ”
"If I knew the exact date of your coming to Ōtara, I would have my family cook a meal for you. Hopefully next time. It's great that you've shown me my hometown, the ancient city of tin, thank you very much. ”
"Actually, Ōtara is good, and there's a great Saturday market, and I think Ponsonby [a well-known neighborhood in Oakland with a lot of restaurants and boutiques] is more dangerous, full of arrogant snobbery, and there have been recent shootings."
"A lot of people love the local Saturday market, Ōtara was once New Zealand's largest open-air market, with more than 600 stalls at its peak, and the food was spectacular, selling cooked and raw meats, delicious pork bones, and large bone-in brisket.
"There was also all the food from the Pacific islands, such as sup sui, coconut sweet buns, cream taro, fruit and vegetable stands, all kinds of fresh fish, all kinds of fresh shellfish, you name it, food raffle stalls, clothes, woven flax, even rotten corn, it was so delicious, it's just that the market is terrible now."
03
Why are people afraid of Ōtara?
There has been an ongoing discussion about whether Ōtara is safe or not.
Many people remind outsiders to avoid this area as much as possible,
Ōtara is a district south of Auckland known for the proportion of Māori and Pacific Islander residents, who make up 78% of Ōtara's population, while European New Zealand (Pākehā) residents are unusually low (10%).
The government has built a large number of public housing estates on the land, which is densely populated by Māori and Pacific Islanders, and the area has been subject to constant disputes due to tight accommodation, scarce public facilities, and friction between different ethnic groups.
There was also a slashing case that shocked New Zealand in 1988, when Samoan Iupeli Pauga attacked a group of Tongans at a flea market with a machete. Tongan Fuko was killed.
The case is also a symbol of the escalating tension between Samoans and Tongans, and behind this is the tragedy of a foreign immigrant suffering from frustration and psychological breakdown as they integrate into a new country.
Pauga, a 22-year-old with no job, no language skills, and no education. He and his buddies are not capable of doing much other than drinking and fighting.
The victim himself, Fuko, has not been able to find his footing in New Zealand. Fuko had wanted to return to Tonga in a month. A few weeks ago, he called his uncle and said he loved New Zealand, but he knew he would never be able to "establish himself here".
And the aforementioned post, which seems to be a joke, may be one of thousands of conflicts involving new immigrants from other countries.
Only this time it was replaced by India and Samoans.
Gang culture is serious, crime is frequent, and drug trade is numerous, which is the reason why many outsiders avoid it.
But there are also people who love it deeply and make it their home, immigrants from the Pacific Islands and even China, who have also put down roots here and made it their home.
Whether it is danger or safety, different people have different opinions.
Have you ever been to Ōtara?