New study looks at youth ‘whiteness’ and prejudice

Young people in Aotearoa who are not perceived as ‘‘white’’ are more likely to face discrimination by police, teachers and healthcare providers, a new study has found.

The study, which is ‘‘likely to be the biggest’’ of its kind in the country, highlighted the nuances of how racism was experienced differently by minority groups. It showed ‘‘who is privileged’’ in our society, co-author and Associate Professor Roshini Peiris-John said.

‘‘Racism is complex and we have to move away from the one-size-fits all approach to addressing racism as this leaves many young people behind,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s a significant piece that is likely to change how we think about racism and how we approach it.’’

Published in The Lancet, the study was based on Youth2000 surveys between 2001 and 2019, which looked at the health and wellbeing of youth in Aotearoa, and included more than 20,000 participants aged 13-17.

In particular, associate professors Rachel Simon-Kumar and Peiris-John, of Waipapa Taumata Rau-University of

Auckland, and Dr Sonia Lewycka, of the University of Oxford, analysed responses from 7700 school students who were surveyed in 2019 as part of the longrunning study.

Peiris-John said while it was important to look at discrimination faced by Māori, there was not a lot of research focused on the experiences of youth with other ethnic backgrounds.

Ethnic minorities were those who have Asian, Pasifika, Middle Eastern, Latin American or African origins.

The study found examples of wealth shielding youth from racism. But the perception of someone’s ‘‘whiteness’’ had a bigger effect.

‘‘Colourism – skin-shade prejudice – is disturbingly persistent in our society,’’ Simon-Kumar said.

Of the participants, 12% said they were perceived as being Pākehā or white despite being Māori or members of ethnic minority groups.

Overall, Māori and ethnic minority students experienced more discrimination than Pākehā students, the study found. But Māori and ethnic minority students perceived as white reported less discrimination than those who weren’t perceived as white.

Youth who said they were perceived as Māori, Pasifika or African reported higher levels of racial discrimination by their teachers, health providers and the police.

Co-author Professor Terryann Clark, of the University of Auckland, said it was ‘‘disturbing’’ to see Māori and Pasifika youth were particularly targeted.

Migrant youth from high-income countries of origin such as Europe, North America, Australia and east Asia, were more likely to live in affluent neighbourhoods, go to better resourced schools and worry less about basic daily needs, Lewycka said.

On the other hand, youth from migrant families from lower income countries faced higher deprivation, even when their families had been in Aotearoa for three generations or more.

The study highlighted the ongoing effects of colonialism that remained evident in society today in structures and policies that systematically disadvantaged not only Māori, but ‘‘each wave of nonwhite migrants who are making New Zealand their home’’, the paper said.

The research findings would add to a ‘‘scarce body of literature’’ that looked at the effects of perceived whiteness and its effects on ‘‘everyday social relationships, a facet of racism that is often underestimated in health research’’.

‘‘Educational interventions and diversity training for teachers, health workers and the police are essential to combat these biases,’’ Simon-Kumar said.

Co-author Associate Professor Terry Fleming, from Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Health, said those who were perceived as white, were often offered more support.

‘‘Even when we think of ourselves as non-racist, we may unwittingly lower our expectations or undertake greater scrutiny of some groups of young people,’’ Fleming said.

‘‘We can work to unlearn racism, and support others to unlearn these behaviours.’’

Peiris-John said it was evident not all minority groups experienced racism the same and it was important to unpack to make effective change.

For some, reducing economic inequalities reduced experiences of racism.

It reflected Aotearoa as a whole, ‘‘who it privileges, who we privilege’’, she said.

The research was an important step in the right direction but more work was required to unpack intersectional identities, Peiris-John said.

‘‘If we understand that complexity, we can understand better ways of addressing racism in this country ... so we don’t have people falling through the cracks with a one size fits all intervention.’’