Negotiating Ocean Tides and Extending Horizons: Reconciling Pasifika Students' Identities at an Australian University

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: The Dreams, Possibilities, and Necessity of Indigenous Education: Research and Praxis 1

Abstract

Enticed by transnational and global capitalism, many Pacific Islanders migrate from their island homelands. Specific recent bilateral agreements such as the Trans-Tasman Travel Agreement enabled many Pacific Islanders to migrate to Australia via New Zealand, motivated by educational and employment opportunities (Horton, 2014). While these are parental dreams, the realisation of these aspirations by migrant children remains to be seen. These Pacific Island communities are often categorised as economically disadvantaged, with Islands cultures a liability for their full engagement and participation (Ravulo, 2015). This paper discusses students’ experiences of studying at an Australian university, as they negotiate their cultural and social identities within institutional and the broader context of dis-locations and challenges of diaspora.

Author

• Juliana Mohok McLaughlin, Queensland University of Technology