Abstract:
This thesis explores the intersection of everyday racism, self-narrative and Māori identity on Auckland’s North Shore. The goal is to examine the specificity of everyday racism, particularly what this looks, sounds and feels like in my Birkdale / Beach Haven area. Twelve rangatahi Māori took part in the research. Semi-structured individual and group interviews were used as data collection methods to construct narratives outlining their experiences. Taken together, the findings suggest a focus on racism is of relevance to a study based on the North Shore. What came through strongly was that Māori face systemic racial challenges that affect their own lives, as well as those of their whānau. When repetitive and unresolved, these form a chain of degradations that are unique to the place and space. Understanding that everyday racism is real and continues to affect generations of whānau in ways that have created social vulnerabilities and also remarkable resilience has implications for anti-racism education.