The white men's idea [is] that they've always been superior…We're always made to feel that we're treated fairly in this country but we're not. (Indian focus group) I just teach kids. I don’t care what colour your face is. I teach you. And my job is to get you from here to here. So that irks me that I have to divide the kids into groups. (Pākehā 1 focus group) It should be situation per child. Why do we have to say if you are Māori or Pasifika, we will target you. It should be as you say, why does it matter what ethnicity you are? We should be all the same. It should be more the needy ones though as they need it. (Pākehā 1 focus group) Participants provided mixed views about conscious and unconscious racism. Some noted people may not be aware their behaviours were racist while others disagreed and noted intentional rather than unintentional racism were better terms to use. It can be completely unconscious. Like before when we were talking, we started saying they and them, instead of us. (Pākehā 1 focus group) Not that people have bad intentions, but these things do exist, and people face more barriers than others. (Provider) 7.4. Looking for someone to blame Many participants noted historical and contemporary examples of dominant groups looking for someone else to blame for issues within societies. Inciting fear within populations and blame on others was considered a means of maintaining power and control - It's how Hitler was able to do what he did…you give them someone to blame - and avoiding accountability and change. …Somebody other is taking our jobs or somebody other is causing these problems or spread COVID, but it's never you, it's always that group or that group. Somebody other is different or looks different or believes in a different God. (European focus group) We want other people to gratify us instead of addressing the issues and taking accountability for things that we can change. (Te Ika-a-Māui Māori focus group) Blame was described by many participants as a way for individuals within dominant groups to cope with: • Their own personal failures and lack of social and economic development and status The housing price has been shooting up because of foreign investment. That probably is affecting those people who can't afford to even rent a house. They might blame the Asians for this happening. (Korean focus group) [Racist] people are not happy about their own lives. They have frustration, they want to achieve something, they don't have that level of lifestyle, they envy other people who are maybe living a better lifestyle…They think why do these people live better lives than me? They feel inferior… (Indian focus group) www.malatest-intl.com Drivers of racism – March 2021 73