Abstract
New Zealand settlement began with waves of Māori settlement, then, in the last few hundred years, colonisers and opportunity-seekers have come from many countries. After World War II, New Zealand government actively sought ‘suitable’ migrants to power the economy. British continued to be the strongly favoured group, however, policies expanded to include dozens of nationalities. Over 400,000 people migrated to New Zealand between 1945 and 1965. In this research, I have made contact with members of this diverse group. Twenty-two immigrants were interviewed for this study. Having arrived as young adults in the twenty years after World War II, they have now been in New Zealand for forty to sixty years and are now between fifty-nine and eighty years old. They come from a variety of backgrounds in twelve different countries. They can all be considered ‘white’ immigrants in relation to New Zealand’s indigenous Māori population and other non-European immigrant groups such as those from Pacific Island nations or Asia.
This thesis avoids a ‘snapshot’ approach that is frequently used to record only the charismatic ‘leaving’ and ‘arriving’ stories. It also argues against the assumption that decades of continued residence, particularly for white immigrants in a white-majority nation, imply an ‘assimilation’ of cultural identity. Assuming instead that this is an incomplete picture, this thesis questions: Where is home and how do they define it? What role does their homeland have now? How has their national identity changed? Are they still treated as foreigners? Do they still think of themselves as immigrants? Do they have a sense of what life would be like as an older adult in their country of origin?
Considering the migration experience over many decades, this research utilizes a narrative approach, speaking with those who have lived this experience and made sense of it in their own lives. Viewing the interviews as strong, empirical data, this thesis stems directly from what the participating immigrants told me. Utilizing the methods involved in grounded theory, data was collected and analysed without a preconceived theory in mind. Three themes emerged from intense analysis of eleven of the interviews: Identity, Aging, and Concepts of Home. Chapter Two focuses on the immigrants’ experiences of identity as it relates to their respective homelands and New Zealand. This chapter addresses identity negotiations over time and identity management in the context of post-World War II New Zealand. Chapter Three considers concepts and experiences of home: the changing role of an immigrant’s homeland, the simultaneous development of New Zealand as home of the ‘everyday’ and the effect of globalization and transnationalism on these experiences of home. Chapter Four looks at later-life experiences and concerns as an immigrant. The creation of continuity from their arrival through to the present is also considered. A consistent undertone quietly but undeniably runs through these categories and ties them all together: The passage of time. This undertone is addressed throughout this thesis with the concluding suggestion that there is a negotiation of gain and loss over time for a long-term immigrant.