Some participants thought dominant groups may feel threatened because they did not see the value in diversity. Migrants learn about tikanga and they're visiting marae and going up to Waitangi and learning about it. How empowering is it when we learn and when you're invited onto marae, you go to pōwhiri, it makes you even more part of the country. I think there's a fear of that happening because it gives power to Māoridom…Whoever holds the power is afraid of that. (Provider) The locals, they might consider Asians as competitors, taking up job vacancies. They may feel not as competent as those Asians who come here to live. (Korean focus group) I think from another perspective, people have personal interests in some things so they can use racist rhetoric and people follow them. It might be rational to use racism as a tool to get the personal capital and interests. (Chinese focus group) 7.3. Ignorance Participants perceived that ignorant behaviours and attitudes were reflected in: • A lack of cultural awareness and willingness to change. This was considered a result of limited lived experience and exposure to biculturalism, multiculturalism and diversity This is literally a white people’s town - we are the brown people of this town and I think [white people] did not know how to respond or engage with us because they've never had to before. (Pan-Pacific focus group) There are two types of ignorance. There is lack of education and then there is wilful ignorance, which is very ugly. (Te Waipounamu Māori focus group) • A lack of self-awareness, empathy and emotional intelligence about own genealogy, history and migration journey Also, understanding history…you’re criticising someone for not belonging but then you yourself are also a foreigner in this place. (Latin American focus group) • Limited and inconsistent understandings of ‘Kiwi’ and ‘Kiwi culture’ What makes a Kiwi, Kiwi? Oh, we do the haka I’m going to claim that I’m a Kiwi, for me there are so many underlying issues... (Te Ika-a-Māui Māori focus group) • A lack of critical thinking, ingrained false beliefs and understandings of other cultures I try not to unfriend these people [back in the UK who say] ‘Oh you did a good thing moving to New Zealand getting away from this. Look at all this, we're being taken over by [racist label]. It's like, I'm an immigrant somewhere else. Have you really thought about what you're saying? But they don't. (European migrant focus group) In line with this view, participants noted that ignorance was also reflected in judging others based on superficial stereotypes rather than developing genuine understandings, and a limited focus on equality rather than equity. www.malatest-intl.com Drivers of racism – March 2021 72