Tze Ming Mok
Tze Ming Mok is a New Zealand-born Chinese scholar and advocate, born in 1978 and raised in Auckland. Her academic background includes a bachelor's and master's degree in political studies from the University of Auckland, culminating in a PhD from the London School of Economics, where her dissertation focused on the classification of multiracial individuals in the UK. Mok's work addresses multiculturalism, immigration, and social justice, drawing on her experiences as an Asian immigrant. She gained recognition for her activism, notably organizing an anti-racist march in 2004 and challenging biased media portrayals of Asian communities.
Mok has contributed to public discourse through her writings, including opinion columns and essays that highlight the experiences of marginalized voices, particularly Asian immigrants in New Zealand. Her literary contributions have earned her several awards, reflecting her impact on discussions about race, identity, and feminism. In her later career, she has worked with various organizations, including the Auckland City Council and the National Centre for Social Research, where she has engaged in data analysis and research on social issues. Mok continues to be a prominent figure in advocating for social justice and a more inclusive narrative in New Zealand society.
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Subject Terms
Tze Ming Mok
Writer, researcher, and sociologist
- Born: 1978
- Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Significance: Tze Ming Mok is a cultural and political commentator on racism and human rights issues, particularly those affecting Asian communities in New Zealand. Mok has written extensively for various publications, including newspapers, magazines, and online platforms, including a weekly opinion column for The Sunday Star-Times.
Background
Tze Ming Mok was born in 1978 and raised in Mt. Roskill, Auckland, New Zealand. She is first-generation New Zealand-born Chinese, and her family is from an array of East and Southeast Asian countries. She received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in political studies from the University of Auckland. By 2019, she had earned her PhD from the London School of Economics where her thesis was titled “Inside the Box: Ethnic Choice and Ethnic Change for Mixed People in the United Kingdom.” The dissertation, which focused on the categorization of multiracial citizens in the United Kingdom, was awarded the Titmuss Prize for best Social Policy PhD at the London School of Economics.
Life’s Work
Mok’s work explores issues of multiculturalism, immigration, and social justice, drawing from her own experiences as an Asian immigrant in New Zealand. She has been recognized for her thought-provoking analysis and her ability to challenge prevailing narratives.
In 2004, Mok helped organize and lead an anti-racist march through New Zealand’s capital Wellington to the house of Parliament. She also wrote an essay related to the events titled “Race You There,” which won the 2004 Landfall essay prize, and was published in the 2005 bookGreat New Zealand Argument.
From 2005 to 2007, during her most prolific period of advocacy for the Asian and migrant communities in New Zealand, Mok wrote an opinion column on race relations and Asia-Pacific issues in New Zealand’s national Sunday newspaper, The Sunday Star-Times. Additionally, the essays written for her blog, “Yellow Peril,” were featured on the popular New Zealand community blog “Public Address.” In 2007, Mok and other prominent Asian community leaders organized a challenge to the New Zealand Press Council’s publication of an article in the monthly magazine North & South. The offensive article, titled “Asian Angst,” was by the former Member of Parliament Deborah Coddington. Due to Mok’s challenge, the article was ruled by the council to be inaccurate and racially biased.
From 2014 to 2015, Mok worked as a researcher for the National Centre for Social Research, performing quantitative and qualitative research for central government sponsored social programs. She served as an associate for The Workshop, a communications firm that uses scientific methods to find narrative strategies to deepen people’s thinking about complex issues. As an associate, Mok advises on research methodology, questionnaire design, and data analysis for intervention evaluations. Mok has also led the Data and Insights team on the Auckland City Council since 2019.
While primarily known for her work in addressing racial and cultural issues, Mok has also engaged in feminist discourse. She has offered perspectives on feminism that intersect with race, challenging traditional narratives and highlighting the experiences of women of color. In 2022, Mok was a contributor to Towards a Grammar of Race in Aotearoa New Zealand, a book of collected essays about racism in its country of publication. By “bringing what is unspoken into focus,” the essays in the book seek to articulate and explore ideas about racial capitalism, colonialism, white supremacy, and anti-Blackness.
Impact
Mok’s work has had a significant impact in advocating for social justice and representing the experiences of Asian communities in New Zealand. Her writings have provided a platform for marginalized voices, particularly those of Asian immigrants, challenging stereotypes, and bringing attention to their experiences. By amplifying these voices, she has contributed to a more inclusive and diverse narrative in New Zealand society. Mok’s work has been honored with many literary prizes. For instance, in 2004, her poem “An Arabic Poetry Lesson in Jakarta” was selected for inclusion in the Best New Zealand Poems 2004, a volume showcasing and leading contemporary New Zealand poets. That same year, Mok’s essay “Race You There” won the Landfall Essay Competition Prize, which she shared with Martin Edmond. The Landfall Essay Prize is an annual competition judged by the editor of the long-running literary magazine Landfall. The aim of the competition is “to encourage New Zealand writers to think aloud about New Zealand culture” and “to revive and sustain the tradition of vivid, contentious, and creative essay writing.” In 2006, Mok was an Arts Foundation New Generation Award recipient. The biennial award celebrates early achievement by five artists who have demonstrated a clear vision of their particular worldview.
Mok’s commentaries and analyses have challenged mainstream narratives on race, identity, and immigration. Her work sheds light on systemic issues, biases, and discrimination, fostering a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding these topics.
Personal Life
Mok has lived in various places throughout her life, including China, Egypt, Switzerland, and England.
Bibliography
Amon, Ed. “Towards a Grammar of Race in Aotearoa New Zealand.” New Books Network, 18 Oct. 2022, newbooksnetwork.com/arcia-tecun-et-al-towards-a-grammar-of-race-in-aotearoa-new-zealand-bridget-williams-books-2022/. Accessed 3 Jul. 2023.
Mok, Tze Ming. “Being Asian - The Struggle to Belong.” New Zealand Herald, 1 Jun. 2005, nzherald.co.nz/nz/emtze-ming-mokem-being-asian-the-struggle-to-belong/MTMFB375YH6ZVQRJ24PH36EDIE/. Accessed 3 Jul. 2023.
Mok, Tze Ming. Official Website, tzemingmok.com/lit/. Accessed 3 Jul. 2023.
Mok, Tze Ming. “When Are You White and When Are You Black?” The Spinoff, 25 Sept. 2022, thespinoff.co.nz/books/25-09-2022/when-are-you-white-and-when-are-you-black. Accessed 3 Jul. 2023.
“Towards a Grammar of Race.” Bridget Williams Books, bwb.co.nz/books/grammar-of-race/. Accessed 3 Jul. 2023.
“Tze Ming Mok’s Biography.” The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi, 16 May 2019, thearts.co.nz/artists/tze-ming-mok. Accessed 3 Jul. 2023.
“Writer’s File: Tze Ming Mok.” Read NZ Te Pou Muramura, 20 Nov. 2009, read-nz.org/writers-files/writer/mok-tze-ming. Accessed 3 Jul. 2023.