Belong Aotearoa Sector Update 27 August 2026
Kia ora e te whānau,
Our identities can be highly complex things, and it can take a huge amount of energy to explain that complexity to people who don't know us. I grew up in Canada, so I have a Canadian accent, although some of my words come out Kiwi. To Canadians, I sound like I have an accent; to New Zealanders, I am clearly not quite from here. My Kenyan-Canadian-Kiwi kids’ identities are even more complex: my daughter has a full-on NZ accent while my son has retained his Canadian one. Ethnically I don't look like my kids. And I have had to explain that I am their mother more times than I care to remember. None of this is particularly dramatic; it is simply our normal. But I know there is significant invisible energy involved in constantly having to explain yourself: who you are, where you belong, how you connect to others, and how multiple identities can be true at the same time.
For many migrant and refugee-background communities, that exhaustion is a daily reality. And we know we collectively need to stop making it so exhausting for people to simply exist, participate, and belong. My own research has explored how Pākehā settler-colonial logics create rigid categories through which the world is made governable, with the racialisation and gendering of people into fixed categories central to those logics. But people are contradictory, intersectional, changing, and connected to multiple places, histories, and communities at once. The challenge is to recognise these logics for what they are and make space for this complexity of who we are in Aotearoa.
We learnt a great deal at our recent Belonging and Social Cohesion Kōrero, and over the next few updates I would like to share some of those learnings. Professor Jay Marlowe's session on social capital (eg the relationships and resources that operate within communities, between communities, and between communities and institutions and decision-makers) surfaced some important insights from participants. The first was a plea to stop treating communities as monoliths. One of the strongest messages from participants was that one-size-fits-all approaches to community engagement, policy, and service provision are inadequate; institutions need to recognise both the diversity between communities and the diversity within them. Participants called for better disaggregated data and greater recognition of intersectionality, lived experience, different aspirations, and different needs. It is a timely message as, for example, Stats NZ continues to look at the way it collects and reports ethnic data.
Professor Jay Marlowe's session on social capital at our recent Belonging and Social Cohesion Kōrero.
My own family is one of many examples that there is no single story that explains us: my kids can look different from me and sound different from one another, and we can be Canadian and Kenyan and Kiwi at the same time, and that’s fabulous. Our communities are no different. The more we make room for those multiple, overlapping and sometimes messy realities, the more we can collectively shift the dial towards a society in which everyone has the space to be fully, complexly, fabulously themselves.
Mauri ora,
Angela Wilton
Chief Executive Officer, Belong Aotearoa
In Case You Missed It
Report on the 2026 review of the ethnicity standard and classification
Stats NZ has updated its ethnicity data standards (Level 4) to better reflect diverse ethnic communities.The change provides government agencies with greater support to collect and use more detailed data.
Read more here.
Hot Desk in Tāmaki Makaurau (Belong Aotearoa)
Craving a change of scene and some human connection with people who are making a difference in Aotearoa? Belong Aotearoa’s Mount Albert hotdesks are just what you need!
For only $26/day + GST, enjoy a comfortable workspace with access to meeting rooms, a boardroom, commercial printer/scanner, and kitchen facilities.
Interested? Click here.
Events
Voting Rights and Responsibilities in NZ Workshop
This workshop explains New Zealand's electoral system, enrollment, and voting process to help you feel confident and ready to participate in a General Election.
When: Thursday 27 August 2026, from 7.30pm to 8.30pm.
Where: Online on Microsoft Teams.
Bonus: Receive a certificate of attendance after the workshop when registered.
*Registration is essential as spaces are limited.
Learn more here.
Understanding Ethnic Rainbow Experiences: From History to Safer Practice
SAMER+ Collective invites members, partners, and practitioners to a free learning session exploring the experiences of ethnic rainbow communities in Aotearoa.
When: Tuesday 1 September 2026, from 10am to 11.30am.
Where: Theatre Room, Nathan Homestead.
Mixit NZ Freedom art exhibition
Mixit NZ invites you to this open art exhibition, showcasing artwork created by young people exploring the meaning of freedom.
When: Saturday 26 September 2026, from 3pm to 4.30pm.
Where: Opanuku Studio, Corban Estate Art Centre.
RSVP by 15 September at info@mixit.co.nz / 021 255 7937.
Aotearoa Migration Research Network “From Policy To Practice”: How migration has shaped our education response
This seminar explores how NZ's growing diversity is driving more responsive educational strategies. Ministry of Education speakers will assess the current effectiveness of culturally and linguistically diverse learner programs and outline their future direction.
When: Friday 4 September 2026, from 12pm to 1pm.
Where: Online by Zoom here.
Meeting ID: 997 1357 4145
Passcode: 681610
Intergenerational Climate Storytelling Workshop & Performance Series
A free intergenerational storytelling workshop and performance series bringing together youth and older adults to craft and share personal stories themed around the climate crisis.
When: Saturday 12 September 2026, from 10am to 6pm.
Where: Opanuku Studio, Corban Estate Art Centre.
How to Apply: Send an email directly to Tahi Mapp-Borren at tahimappborren@gmail.com or visit Golden Festival.
Digital Safety for Ageing Takatapui and Rainbow+ People
One-off, in-person Rainbow+ Digital Safety workshops. Learn about romance scams, dating apps, online harassment, and using tech to build Rainbow communities. No prior knowledge needed. All workshops are free.
When:
Saturday 5 September 2026, from 10am to 1pm at Western Springs Community Garden Hall.
Monday 7 September 2026, from 12pm to 3pm at Glen Eden Library.
Thursday 10 September 2026, from 10am to 1pm at Sunnynook Scout Group Hall.
Friday 11 September 2026, from 1pm to 4pm at Te Tuhi Gallery.
Saturday 12 September 2026, from 1pm to 4pm, Nathan Homestead.
Register here.
CV & Cover Letter Writing Free Job Search Workshops
Join Migrant Action Trust for a series of interactive and practical workshops designed to help you navigate job hunting.
When: Friday 11 September 2026, from 10am to 12pm.
Where: Rakiraki Room, Wesley Community Centre.
Learn more here.
Job Interview Prep Free Job Search Workshops
Join Migrant Action Trust for a series of interactive and practical workshops designed to help you navigate job hunting.
When: Friday 25 September 2026, from 10am to 12pm.
Where: Rakiraki Room, Wesley Community Centre.
Learn more here.
Personal Branding & Networking Free Job Search Workshops
Join Migrant Action Trust for a series of interactive and practical workshops designed to help you navigate job hunting.
When: Friday 2 October 2026, from 10am to 12pm.
Where: Rakiraki Room, Wesley Community Centre.
Learn more here.
Media
Polling shows majority of New Zealanders support restricting voting to citizens only
The polling, conducted by Curia Market Research for the Taxpayers’ Union, also finds more Labour, Green Party, Te Pāti Māori and Act supporters advocated for the policy than were against it, despite all four parties opposing it.
Read more here.
Lower beer tax, immigration changes on hospitality sector’s election wishlist
Hospitality businesses are calling for lower taxes on kegged beer, clearer residency pathways for experienced workers and a national register for short-term rentals ahead of the 2026 election.
Read more here.
How immigration has been used to win votes in New Zealand elections
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters attracted a firestorm of criticism last month after telling China-born Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan to "go back to where you've come from" during a tirade in Parliament.
Read more here.
Woman denied freedom to choose husband in India granted asylum in New Zealand
The woman says she was nearly killed by her family who didn't approve of her relationship with a man.
Read more here.
Demand for ethnic women’s refuge support nearly doubles in two years
'An ethnic women's refuge organisation says demand for its safe houses has nearly doubled over the past two years, with women facing increasingly complex barriers to getting help.
Read more here.
US siblings become NZ refugees as more than 20 Americans claim asylum
Government figures show more than 20 Americans have applied for asylum in New Zealand since 2020 - and at least one family was accepted.
Read more here.
Immigration Has Lost Social Licence
Some politicians are using immigration to stir up controversy, but they are also pointing out real concerns people have today.
Read more here.
Bay of Plenty company Indo Kiwi Horticulture, former director ordered to pay more than $400,000 for migrant exploitation
The company was also ordered to repay more than $152,000 in wage arrears, holiday pay arrears and unlawful premiums to four former migrant workers.
Read more here.
Do you have news you would like to share in our fortnightly Sector Update? Simply email your update to: sectorupdates@belong.org.nz.
Ngā mihi,
Belong Aotearoa Tea
