Māori woman living in Ponsonby victim of racial abuse by neighbours after receiving hateful letter

Headlines 20/05/2020

A Māori woman has been sent a shocking racist letter from someone claiming to be her Ponsonby neighbour - and it comes after years of racial abuse.

Rose Greaves has lived in a council house in the affluent inner Auckland suburb for the past seven years. But ever since she began living there, she began receiving abuse, TVNZ's Marae reports.

"I've had death threats from the White Power to burn my house down with me in it," she told Marae. "I've been called n****r monkey several times."

The latest incident is a letter sent during the COVID-19 crisis.

"Myself and my neighbours have worked hard our whole lives. We pay top rates. You have done nothing," the letter reads.

"You're here because Housing NZ put you here. You don't pay any rates, nothing!"

Greaves says she's "openly proud" to be Māori and proud to display the Tino Rangatiratanga flag and tikanga outside her home.

But it appears some in the neighbourhood don't like it at all.

"You are an embarrassment to Ponsonby!" the letter reads.

"Not to mention the rubbish items you put in your front yard is pathetic and vile... Please, please do Ponsonby a favour and get Housing NZ to transfer you.

"You are not liked and not welcomed here."

"The language and level of vulgar display of disgusting behaviour that you produce is absolutely vile."

When asked about what she thought the latest attack was in reference to. Greaves stated: “My being Māori, my speaking Māori, my being very proud to be Māori,” she told Marae.

Greaves claims that the letter was tame compared to other incidents, but still feels disturbed by it all.

Greaves told Marae she didn't want to get angry about her experience, but encourages whoever is sending her hate to come over for a chat.

"Come and talk to me, I'm a really nice person, you might actually get to like me if you talked to me," she said.

Check out the full Interview HERE.

Credit to Newshub and Marae for the story.