Being Pakeha Now

Book excerpt: First published in 1985, Michael King's Being Pakeha became a gentle Kiwi classic, a strong reply both to Maori who were asserting their own identity and also to Pakeha who mumbled that they didn t have a strong culture and identity of their own. Being Pakeha Now is an updated edition that reflects on these issues and how they have changed and evolved over the last fifteen years. The theme of Being Pakeha is that white New Zealanders do indeed belong to a strong culture, which is called 'Pakeha' and which is different, strong and definable and worth celebrating. In this revised edition King rewrites the Introduction and updates many of the chapters. In addition, he offers two new chapters, one on his experiences with Moriori and the Chathams and the other on his involvement in the NZ literary community.