This section discusses areas of discrimination experienced by migrants and the impacts on their wellbeing. 2.4.1. Employment Various studies indicated that employment is one of the most significant areas of discrimination towards migrants. Discriminatory recruitment and employment practices mean that migrants may feel they have to work harder to prove their competency to potential employers in their new host country, even if they have the same qualifications, knowledge and experience as their non-migrant colleagues (who have the inherent privilege of being a member of the dominant ethnic group) (Kwansah-Aidoo & Mapedzahama, 2018). Recruitment: Migrants face barriers in hiring and recruitment (Butcher et al., 2006; Dixon et al., 2009; Martin Jenkins, 2018; Wilson et al., 2005), such as: • Ethnicity and name: Migrants may be discriminated in shortlisting processes due to their ethnicity and birth (traditional) names – those who anglicise their names may be more likely to be shortlisted compared to those who keep their birth names (Wilson et al., 2005). Some migrants have reported being advised to anglicise their names to improve access to employment opportunities (Dixon et al., 2009). • Lack of Aotearoa New Zealand work experience. • Lack of proficient English or potential employers’ claims that migrant interviewees either cannot speak English well or speak it with an accent • Overseas qualifications: Migrants are advised by immigration authorities that these qualifications will be valid in Aotearoa New Zealand, yet they are not recognised by Aotearoa New Zealand employers once they arrive. This means that migrants must spend time, money and resources gaining the appropriate Aotearoa New Zealand qualifications to be able to work in a field in which they are already qualified. While the lack of Aotearoa New Zealand work experience and having overseas qualifications are not explicitly racist, they are discriminatory institutional barriers that limit migrants’ ability to settle and integrate into everyday Aotearoa New Zealand life. Some studies also note migrants experience more overt racism by being told they are taking away jobs from Aotearoa New Zealand citizens (Dixon, 2019; Dixon et al., 2009). In the workplace: When migrants succeed in becoming employed, workplaces can often be discriminatory environments as there may be: • Faster career progression of colleagues from the dominant ethnic group compared to migrants, even though migrant employees may be more qualified and competent www.malatest-intl.com Drivers of racism – March 2021 29