Acknowledgements Hūtia te rito o te harakeke, kei whea te korimako e kō? Ka rere ki uta, ka rere ki tai. Kī mai koe ki au, he aha te mea nui i te ao? Māku e kī atu, He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!1 It is difficult to find words big enough for our appreciation to all who contributed to this research. Thank you to our participants and the people behind the scenes who opened their homes and their hearts to this project. A huge amount of warmth and generosity was extended by people all over the country for this kaupapa. There were many people who connected us with participants and people within the focus groups who encouraged each other to take part. It was a privilege for us to hear from so many inspiring people. We shared waiata, kai, laughter and tears. Sometimes the focus group members had rigorous debates with each other and other times there were quiet conversations. We feel so much richer for meeting you all. Some people shared their experiences of discrimination and racism for the first time in this project. There was a lot of mamae, some that went back multiple generations, and most stories were harrowing. But people told us over and over again that they had few opportunities to be together in a safe space and talk about racism. We are glad to have contributed opportunities for this important kōrero and we are thankful to the team at the Human Rights Commission who initiated this work. The whakataukī above captures how grateful we feel to every person who took part in this project, and the importance of upholding the mana and dignity of all who live in Aotearoa New Zealand. Thank you for sharing your stories with us. 1 Meri Ngaroto of Te Aupōuri composed this whakataukī. Metge, J., & Jones, S. (1995). He Taonga Tuku Ihō no Ngā Tūpuna: Māori Proverbial Sayings—a Literary Treasure. The Journal of New Zealand Studies, 5(2). www.malatest-intl.com Drivers of racism – March 2021 6