Abstract:
Migration is perceived by people as a means to broaden their choices, increase their opportunities, and enhance their capabilities; however, when people actually migrate, they often experience alienation in a new country and the notion of homeland is soon recreated in the new land. Minimal research of the diaspora and transnationalism of two Fiji communities, the indigenous Fijians (hereafter Fijians) and the Banabans in the New Zealand context has inspired this research. As a Banaban who was born in Fiji and am myself an example of the diaspora experience, this area of research combines an academic need with a personal interest; therefore this thesis is an insider’s perspective on diaspora journeys and narratives gleaned from personal conversations and observations and are an attempt to let our indigenous voice be heard. This thesis provides an analysis of the various forms of transnational networks and how they shape the Fijian and Banaban people’s identity and well-being in the New Zealand context. It also explores the position of the Banaban community both within and separate from Fijian diaspora community. The findings drawn from this research include the factors that impact on the diaspora and transnational networks among the Pacific communities with a focus on the Banabans and Fijians in New Zealand. The paper analyses the nature and functioning of such networks and in the process also examines the Fiji communities’ networks as reflective of the integration of ethnic groups in the heterogeneous society of the homeland, Fiji. In exploring the transnational networks as important spaces for diaspora groups to operate, tensions and challenges inherent in every network are also highlighted. Keywords: Fijians, Banabans, migration, diaspora, transnationalism, socio-cultural networks.
