"It's not as bad as there"... but it is bad enough here: Microaggression in New Zealand based on stories of Asian New Zealanders

This thesis explores microaggression in New Zealand based on stories of lived experiences written and shared by Asian New Zealanders. It examines how Asian New Zealanders are able to express their feelings, thoughts, and experiences of microaggression through stories in online spaces, and how such narratives are used as performative elements for social change and activism against racism. I show how incredibly hurtful and damaging microaggressions are, by focusing on the stories of my participants, where they expressed feelings of hurt, disappointment, frustration, and anger as well as significant impacts on their sense of identity and belonging in New Zealand. These were largely effects of experiencing multiple, constant, and ongoing acts of microaggression; I argue that this is the predominant type of racism that Asian New Zealanders are facing. The stories and the act of storytelling allowed Asian New Zealanders to initiate discussion and awareness to strive for social change against issues of racism that had persisted and distressed them for so long. Listening to and analysing their voices and the stories has allowed me to deeply engage with the impact of casual racism and also to detect new voices that use storytelling as an empowering device and to gather strength for resistance and speaking back.