Chinese New Zealander

A Chinese New Zealander (simplified Chinese: 华裔新西人; traditional Chinese: 華裔紐西蘭人; Mandarin Pinyin: huàyìniǔxīlánrén; Jyutping: wa4 yeui6 nay2say1laan4 jan4) is a New Zealander of Chinese descent. They constitute one group of Overseas Chinese and represent the second largest Chinese community in Oceania behind the Chinese community in Australia. Many Chinese New Zealanders are immigrants along with their descendants from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, as well a handful of other countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore who have immigrated from Southeast Asia that include large populations of the Chinese diaspora. As of 2006, Chinese New Zealanders account approximately three percent of the total population of New Zealand, and represent the largest Asian ethnic group in New Zealand accounting approximately 44% of the entire Asian New Zealander populatiion.

The last records of ethnic Chinese in New Zealand were the immigrants from Guangdong province, China, who arrived during the 1860s goldrush era. Due to this historical influx, there is still a distinct Chinese community in the Southern city of Dunedin, whose former mayor Peter Chin is of Chinese descent. However, most Chinese New Zealanders live in the North Island, and are of more recent migrant heritage.