Research

When there’s explicit, implicit, overt or covert discrimination. Anything that feels like it doesn’t welcome not just people like me, but people generally. That’s when I feel like I don’t belong. If you’re treating this person that way, why would I be safe.

There is obvious discrimination. Whites are served before browns. [in healthcare facility]

In Christchurch, not so much now, we’re not as multicultural as we like to think we are. Going to the right schools, there is quite a bit of discrimination around that.

The authorities who are moving us on are definitely targeting particular types of people, those who are tourists and stay on for a few weeks in closed caravans have no problem. [relates to tourists being preferred over ‘freedom campers].

Mostly boils down to expectations and assumption of someone else. Rules and norms that people should adhere to [ie are expected to adhere to, and discriminated against when they don’t].

The gentleman said “You’re not what we expected, you’re Māori. The position has been filled.”

Health system excludes me. It doesn’t recognise who I am [gender labelling], I have to lie or be misrepresented.

A lot of people struggle to have key friendships. That’s a real issue. Individuals have different experiences. But they’re having difficulties with social setting. Some people have acquaintances. Having good solid, true friendships. [medical diagnosis related]

Anecdotes I get from people who feel like the system doesn’t work – no, actually, where the system doesn’t work for them, it’s not just a feeling: the feedback is that they don’t belong. A system that doesn’t accept them or try to understand [them], that’s one of the biggest issues. If you don’t feel like you belong, you stay away. Or you make choices about how desperate you are [before you will engage with that system]. The ramifications of that are huge [in terms of health consequences].

Māori, transgender, disabled are othered [relates to medical environment]. Disabled and trans people don’t even exist, or disabled people have to have someone else speaking for them. Huge amount of othering in our society.

What stops me is ignorance [about mental illness]. We are people too.

People with disabilities who feel they can’t access something, or have to work harder for access to be accommodated, will feel that they don’t belong.

Disability sector is the same. Families are finding their own solutions to get their young people included. If it's not there, people will lobby and push until something comes. There’s a group of parents with young people with intellectual disabilities getting their own support. That’s something that’s wonderful. We have no central government agency service here, no WINZ, no CYFS, those services are not visible here. Community Networks can be a conduit to those. The level of service provision is low.

With the disabled community I know they shared my experiences though, they’ve been discriminated against. They know what it's like when somebody says - oh, you can't get on that bus because it will hold people up. I know they’ve experienced it.

Interview process for jobs – they may be very capable of doing a job, but the interview process is cookie cutter. You have to interact with the interviewer, say appropriate things at appropriate time, and they find that difficult.

For some it was disability or something health wise, that they were excluded. Bit of both physical and intellectual. Anything that made them different.

I did get one interview, because of their own policy, but didn’t get it because of my age. That was age discrimination.

The same happens with age. Not here but overseas I’ve had to put my age when applying for jobs and if you’re over 40 they won’t consider you.

I was often referred to (indirectly) as an ‘oldie’. I don’t think this is good, because people tend to ‘measure’ others on some arbitrary parameters which I had the pressure to give in to.

I also felt like there was a judgement and some sort of ageism as I am a person who doesn’t engage in what is perceived as youthful activities, such as taking selfies and watching movies.

First, I was older. Trying to get into [social groups] is harder, you know, finding a new clan. The people my age already have their families, friends, work, and social lives. It is hard to become part of someone else’s circle at my age. I had friends and family back home that I don’t have here.

Hearing negative ageist or sexist comments when I am an older woman.

We heard this, if it’s an Indian don’t give them [the rental property] because they’ll fill the house with this filthy curry smell.

The incident was looking at people’s applications for registration. When you have many applicants from all over the world, those universities and those applicants are belittled simply because they are not in the top tier of universities. Then it becomes bigoted, racism comes to the fore. Many of these people [being belittled] are Indian, Sri Lankans, Africans. That becomes problematic when you’re surrounded by that kind of talk.

In claiming my identity I’m also claiming the marginalisation or discrimination [of Romany people] that I haven’t experienced. The [Romany] identity is connected to hardship, and I want to amplify the voices of those who experience the hardship, but I can never be an insider in that culture.

If they put hijab, difficulty to rent houses. They would apply and apply and apply, and until it happens in a way that someone else would help them to get a place.

It’s only when you heard of things happening in NZ. In schools some part of cultures not allowed in school. As prayers for our people, they usually have prayers, and time for themselves during the whole process. Even some of our own languages.

I used to work for a publisher and got to choose the cover of books. Publisher said, “oh, take that brown person off the cover” and my colleague who was African descent heard that comment and I was really horrified, and it was taken higher up but nothing came of it. I think that those decision makers are the ignorant white males who continue to make those decisions.

Getting a job is okay if it is entry level with no skills - factory, farm work. But getting white collar jobs for our people is very difficult. Even if you have uni degree from Nepal, you are not given any chance. I have 2 masters degree in IT and Software engineer. NZQA gave me level 9. But I still can’t get job, not even getting shortlisting.

Difficulties in potentially renting a house, people will think you will damage it.[refugee related]

You get told there's an obligation if you engage with different services. I've been called a bottom feeder in organisations, there's other exclusions, how do I get through this door, how do I get through that door.

In the construction industry and hospitality industry, you can get quite a few examples of how terribly migrant workers are treated.

Minority cultures - youth are experiencing social isolation, especially Pacific Islanders. South American youth are possibly okay because there’s a fairly big community.

There’s no room for them to identify as intersex in the paperwork, only in the community, because your parents choose for you at birth.

When you have one of each your parents choose one for you so you can’t put that you’re intersex. So, if there’s a disease that’s prevalent in intersex people you won’t know that they need to be checked.