The research recognises Māori as first peoples and Te Tiriti o Waitangi partners with the Crown. The research team deemed it important to focus on the topic of racism for tauiwi migrants while also recognising the historical and contemporary settler colonial contexts that have been devasting for Māori and that provide context for tauiwi experiences within Aotearoa New Zealand. The research refers to race as purely a social construct used to categorise people, which has very real consequences. The term racism is used throughout the report, inclusive of racial discrimination and prejudice. Method Research methods included: Literature scan and media analysis: This included a scan of evidence relevant to migrant experiences of racism and thematic analysis of general public responses to three media articles and significant events in Aotearoa New Zealand. Findings from the literature scan and media analysis were used to develop a research framework and data collection tools and inform the analysis of interviews and focus group discussions. Interviews with settlement service providers: Nine individual and four group interviews were conducted with representatives from 11 national and regional settlement support provider organisations located in urban and rural locations across Aotearoa New Zealand. Focus groups with Māori, Pākehā and tauiwi migrants (inclusive of former refugees): Twenty-eight focus groups were held with Māori, Pākehā and tauiwi migrants aged 18 years and older from different ethnicities, religious affiliations, visa types and length of residence in Aotearoa New Zealand. Groups were held across five localities (covering urban and rural areas in Te Ika-a-Māui and Te Waipounamu). A total of 210 participants representing at least 23 different ethnicities and religious denominations contributed to focus group discussions. Key research findings Racism is prevalent in Aotearoa New Zealand: Participants’ experiences of racism consisted of institutional, personally mediated and internalised racism across all levels of wellbeing: civic engagement and governance, health, housing, employment, society and social connections, education and the justice system. Findings emphasised that the ongoing impact of historical and contemporary racism toward Māori remained embedded within colonial systems and institutions and extended to tauiwi populations as well as Tangata whenua. www.malatest-intl.com Drivers of racism – March 2021 8