New Zealand Cultural Groups

Several ethnic minority groups including Jews, Germans, Swedes, Polish, and others help make up New Zealand society. It's important to learn the history of the ethnic, racial, and religious groups your ancestors belonged to. For example, there are a significant number of compiled studies which you might study such as a history of the Jews in England and eastern Europe, or the Germanic cultural background of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, or the Swedes in Scandinavia. This historical background can help you identify where your ancestors lived and when they lived there, where they migrated, the types of records in which they might be listed, the archives that hold records about them and other information to help you understand your family's history.

For some minorities in New Zealand there are some unique records and resources available. These include histories, gazetteers, biographical sources, settlement patterns, and handbooks.

The Family History Library collects records of these minority groups, especially published histories. These are listed in the Family History Library Catalog, Place Search, under:

NEW ZEALAND - MINORITIES

NEW ZEALAND - [ISLAND] - MINORITIES

For searching Jews in New Zealand, you can also search under:

NEW ZEALAND - JEWISH HISTORY

Other sources are also in the Subject section of the Family History Library Catalog under the name of the minority, such as Jews, Germans, or Swedes.