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This paper shares how Pacific people today move, live, and stay connected across Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. Instead of seeing migration as something that “happens to” Pacific peoples, the research shows that Pasifika families make active choices about when and how they move. These decisions are shaped by family needs, cultural responsibilities, and the desire to stay connected to people and places that matter.
Pacific migrants don’t simply move from one place to another in a straight line. As they travel, settle, and reconnect across different locations, they keep building and maintaining relationships—caring for family, supporting communities, and adapting to new situations. This is what researchers call collective agency, and it reflects the strength of Pacific ways of living.
Findings from both the author’s PhD research and ongoing postdoctoral work show that Pasifika mobility is always changing. Pacific families adjust their movements in response to what is happening around them, especially during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when borders closed and travel became difficult, Pasifika communities found new ways to stay connected and support one another across the Tasman.
This paper shares how Pacific people today move, live, and stay connected across Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. Instead of seeing migration as something that “happens to” Pacific peoples, the research shows that Pasifika families make active choices about when and how they move. These decisions are shaped by family needs, cultural responsibilities, and the desire to stay connected to people and places that matter.
Pacific migrants don’t simply move from one place to another in a straight line. As they travel, settle, and reconnect across different locations, they keep building and maintaining relationships—caring for family, supporting communities, and adapting to new situations. This is what researchers call collective agency, and it reflects the strength of Pacific ways of living.
Findings from both the author’s PhD research and ongoing postdoctoral work show that Pasifika mobility is always changing. Pacific families adjust their movements in response to what is happening around them, especially during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when borders closed and travel became difficult, Pasifika communities found new ways to stay connected and support one another across the Tasman.