Bobby | Mt Albert
“I think it took me a while to get over the initial shock that it’s actually happened within New Zealand.
But then going forward, I’ve been angry that there have been people who say that this isn’t New Zealand when from my experiences and from what I’ve seen living in Christchurch, is that there is a harbouring of a little bit of resentment and anger towards immigrants. Immigrants within New Zealand, and I think that people should be owning up to that, that they should be recognising that they do have some racism, even though maybe micro-aggressions and stuff like that, they should be recognising that and they should call each other out on it as well, that this stuff isn’t okay.
I would say to the Muslim community this is something that happened, and we are hopefully working towards something better, and I’m just incredibly sorry that it had to happen to people of any kind of race or gender, or just any person, and I really hope we can really educate each other, moving forward.
I’m originally from Christchurch and I moved her about three years ago. I was born in Christchurch. Yeah, I was born and raised in Christchurch. My Dad’s English and my mum’s from the Philippines. So, I have had that response of, where are you from, even though I am a Kiwi. I am from Christchurch. I always get that question of like, where are you from, just because I don’t look like the stereotypical person from New Zealand, and so I can relate to some aspects as to how people can feel a little bit unwelcome within their own home.”
