Jan Tinetti launched Nina Payne's new book Migrants' Voices - Our Stories. Photo / Megan Wilson
Jan Tinetti launched Nina Payne's new book Migrants' Voices - Our Stories. Photo / Megan Wilson
Some migrants "are unheard".
That was the inspiration behind Nina Payne's new book, which tells the stories of migrants who have moved to New Zealand.
Founder of Multicultural Tauranga and the Filipino Society, Nina Payne launched her book Migrants' Voices - Our Stories at Greerton Library on Saturday.
The bookconsists of 12 stories of migrants from eight countries, including India, the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic. Several contributors were at the launch where Payne gifted them a copy of the book.
Payne moved from the Philippines to New Zealand in 1978 with her two daughters.
She told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend the book was an opportunity to "gain cultural knowledge [and] develop empathy towards each other".
"My book aims to show the vital role migrants have played in our communities from an individual perspective," she said.
"They also share their struggles, challenges, achievements and demonstrate how they have enhanced New Zealand's economy and social life through their contribution of knowledge and other skills."
She said the objective of her book was to highlight the diversity and tolerance of different nationalities, cultures and religions.
"I want to expose our skills and our culture."
"We must treat other migrants with respect and dignity, regardless [of] where they come from," she said.
"We are interwoven, we are interconnected together as one."
Ewa Fenn is originally from Poland and moved to New Zealand in 1982. Photo / Megan Wilson
Labour List MP Jan Tinetti launched Payne's book, and said at the launch it was important to tell these stories "as our community does become more diverse".
"To tell their stories of how they have come to this country and the importance of keeping their culture and understanding through generations but also integrating into a Kiwi culture - I couldn't think of anything that was more important to be part of," she said.
Ewa Fenn was a contributor to the book and attended the launch. Originally from Poland, she said she ended up in New Zealand "by chance".
Fenn said she escaped from Poland and went to Austria where she applied for asylum. She initially wanted to go to Australia because she had a friend from New Zealand living there. But as he was moving back to New Zealand, he helped her with the paperwork and she found herself here too.
She described New Zealand as a "beautiful country".
"I like the climate, the blue sky, the greenery here is just incredible," she said.
"Every time I go back to Europe the sky is grey."
But the things she missed the most about Poland were "the food and the sweets".
Kutu Mukherjee is originally from India and moved to New Zealand in 1995 with her husband. Photo / Megan Wilson
Fellow contributor and attendee Kutu Mukherjee migrated from India in 1995 for her husband's job and had "no regrets" about moving.
New Zealand was "like heaven", she said.
Mukherjee said she loved the nature, weather, friendly people and that it was "very safe".
"The women…they have mostly equal rights."
But she missed her friends, family and her singing in India.
"[The] most is my music – I'm a professional singer."
Mukherjee said she still made music in New Zealand with an Indian community but it was less than back home where she was involved in many programmes and performances.
Some proceeds from the book sales will be going to Multicultural Tauranga and the Filipino Society.
• The book is on sale for $30 from Multicultural Tauranga.
