There are a few truck-sized holes with this. Having a Chinese name does not mean you are not a New Zealander. The first Chinese immigrant settled here in 1842, decades before my English ancestors.
And quite obviously, if non-residents buying Auckland houses are part of the problem of the extreme Auckland housing market, they are not exclusively Chinese.
What about the British, American or South African names? Is it because they are not perceived by our Pakeha-dominated society as "different"?
Does picking on names like "ours" confuse matters? Well, it should for so-called Chinese names, too - Chinese names are not automatically foreign in New Zealand.
There may well be a problem with non-residents with deep pockets contributing to the ridiculous year-upon-year inflation in Auckland house prices. Or there may not be a problem. If we don't collect reliable data, we won't know - guesses don't count.
If we don't want non-residents buying New Zealand houses, then review the rules. It won't be easy and there are other levers to pull, including introducing a capital gains tax so the income being earned from the buying and selling of assets (beyond the family home) is subject to the same treatment as our hard-earned salaries and wages.
That might slow down the property speculators, foreign or otherwise.
Plus, let's stop talking only about the Auckland market. In provincial New Zealand (including Whanganui - I know from personal experience), houses lose value year-upon-year - if they sell at all.
When we sold our Ikitara Rd house a year ago for a 10 per cent loss, we were "pleased" as the average that year was closer to a 20 per cent loss.
And at least we sold, even if it took nearly 12 months. My parents' friends are not the only ones whose house languishes on the market, at a massive discount, after several years.
Getting people out of Auckland through supporting regional employment growth would help both our housing markets as well as address some of the issues raised in the Salvation Army's Mixed Fortunes report on geographic disadvantage.
So can we, as a country, talk about housing and non-resident purchasing without being racist? Absolutely! Just don't focus on Chinese-sounding names as if that's a good place to start.
I've been exchanging emails with a friend in the United States about race relations so this is an interesting twist.
She is a professor in Asian American studies and regularly shares articles with me about the state of play in the States. She has a perception that New Zealand is some sort of sanctuary from racism, sheltered from racial profiling and institutionalised discrimination - unfortunately, I have set her straight.
I've sent her pieces on this issue written by Kiwis Keith Ng and Raybon Kan - check them out if you want a personal view.
I assumed my married name, Young, could have Chinese heritage so consulted Google in writing this column. There's a website - forebears.co.uk - that reckons there are 872,690 Youngs in the world, but only 3345 in China. Maybe I wouldn't have been caught up in the dodgy data - even if I could afford an Auckland house.
-Nicola Young has worked in the government and private sectors in Australia and NZ and now works from home in Taranaki for a national charitable foundation. Educated at Wanganui Girls' College, she has a science degree and is the mother of two boys.
