They say when in Rome do as the Romans do. So, we come here, no doubt we should not change but we should adapt…If you come here, you must learn how to accept how things are done here…I must learn to accept how things are done here. I can't bring all my thinking here. (Chinese focus group) They don’t need to learn English. We make it too easy for them. They don’t have to. We have got Mandarin banks now. Like everything, you can call lines and choose what language you speak. You don’t have to speak English...That splits it even further doesn’t it. What are you going to get, two different communities. (Pākehā 1 focus group) What I find [disturbing] for migrant communities is when people say “Well you chose to come here, you chose to be assimilated”. No, these people are coming here for better lives. It doesn’t mean that they chose to leave their culture, beliefs and value systems at home. You shouldn’t expect them to lose all their culture to come and have a better life. (Te Ika-a-Māui Māori focus group) 5.3.2. Subjective wellbeing Eroding confidence and self-belief: Many participants highlighted second-guessing oneself – am I overthinking it? - and loss of resilience from constant oppression as forms of internalised racism. For people who come here with a strong sense of culture or spiritual identity, that's a wonderful protective thing, but discrimination chips away at that protective factor. It's very damaging. (Provider) When you're targeted, it sticks in their mind that oh maybe I can't do it. So, it breaks confidence. (Sikh focus group) Pacific participants also noted that internalised racism was evident in established inferiority complexes and the normalisation of racism within migrant communities. I always feel little when I'm around [Palagi]. Why the hell do I feel little when I'm around them? It’s this idea that they've drilled into us since we came into this country that they're the norm and if you're not the norm then you're an outsider and it’s your job to try and fit in. You think you don’t think about it, but we do, it’s in the way we act. Like us automatically thinking that they're better than us, prettier than us. It’s just crazy. (Samoan focus group) Learned helplessness and under-reporting of racist experiences: We've got a very ugly underbelly in Aotearoa and it's so under-reported...there's an unwillingness to put that stuff out there...It's such a hidden thing and totally underreported. (Provider) Many participants noted that internalised experiences of racism contributed to migrants questioning their sense of purpose and rights in Aotearoa New Zealand. It was commonly perceived that those who constantly experienced racism, oppression and disempowerment did not feel or know they had the right to complain or did not want to appear ungrateful. www.malatest-intl.com Drivers of racism – March 2021 60