[1] The minister is broadly responsible for supporting ethnic and culturally diverse communities in New Zealand.

They are the responsible minister for the Ministry for Ethnic Communities and also oversee the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust.

[2] The first appointment to the Minister of Ethnic Affairs was made in 1999 at the formation of the Fifth Labour Government.

Through the 1999 election campaign, both Labour and United had pledged to appoint an ethnic affairs minister to "be involved at all levels of decision-making on issues affecting ethnic communities.

[4] The title was briefly Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities between 2020 and 2023.