Frequent comments made about Asian drivers causing accidents demonstrate a thin veneer of racial tolerance in New Zealand, a professor of Chinese at Auckland University says.
She says although statistics show most accidents on the roads are caused by young white males, that's not the perception that many people have.
Waitakere Pacific Board chairperson Sailauama Cheryl Talamaivao says Pacific Islanders also endure racist comments on a regular basis.
She says many people have stereotypical views of where Pacific Islanders are meant to be in society, and often see them as singers or dancers.
