Pacific Islands Diaspora Media: Sustaining Island Identities Away from Home

17th AMIC Annual Conference Overview

• Conference Title: Changing Media, Changing Societies: Media and the Millennium Development Goals

• Date: July 14 – 17, 2008

• Location: Manila, Philippines

• Authors: Evangelia Papoutsaki & Naomi Strickland

• Note: Work in progress, contact authors for final version

Abstract

• Focus of Paper:

  • Identify Pacific Islands Diaspora media in New Zealand.

  • Define the role of these media in addressing communication needs within Pacific Island communities.

• Second Objective:

  • Formulate a methodology that informs an extensive research project on the subject.

• Context:

  • Despite emerging literature on diaspora and ethnic media, research on Pacific diasporas and their media in Asia Pacific rim countries is limited.

• Study Goals:

  • Identify forms and content of diasporic media for South Pacific Islands communities in New Zealand.

  • Investigate the information needs, role in sustaining identities, and integration aspects of these media.

• Consideration of New Information Technologies:

  • Influence of the internet in providing new sources for information and connecting diaspora with home.

• Overview Content of Paper:

  • Discuss South Pacific Islands diaspora communities and their media, focusing on those living in New Zealand.

  • Methodological Framework:

  • Data collection via focus groups, media surveys, and in-depth interviews.

Introduction

• Visibility of Diasporas:

  • Numerical presence and cultural practices challenge cultural homogeneity and ethnic hierarchies in society (Bailey et al., 2007:2).

• Emergent Literature:

  • Growing importance of understanding diasporic identities and communities (Cohen, 1997; Bailey et al., 2007; Browne, 2005; Karim, 2003; Georgiou, 2001-2006; Huang, 2004).

• Diversity of Pacific Island Communities:

  • Communities labeled as islanders, Pacific Islanders (P.Is), and Pacifika (Perrott, 2007; Teaiwa and Mallon, 2005).

  • Formation of distinctive cultural identities and media within diaspora.

• Information Needs in New Zealand:

  • The largest Pacific Islands diaspora is in New Zealand (McCarthy, 2005), yet little is known of their needs and media use.

• Role of Media:

  • Vital for sustaining relationships across distances and integrating with host societies (Georgiou, 2007).

• Challenge to Control:

  • Diasporic media provide new means of representation, opening opportunities for expression against established media power dynamics (Bailey et al., 2007).

• Lack of Research:

  • Limited investigation into Pacific diaspora media in New Zealand and their impact.

Concepts of Diaspora & Diasporic Media

Definition of Diaspora

• Evolved meaning expanded across various migratory groups.

• Discussion related to migration, post-migration, and multiple senses of belonging beyond nations (Karim, 2003; Georgiou, 2007).

• Cohen’s Classification:

  • Types include victim, labor, trade, cultural, and imperial diasporas, highlighting the changing nature of diaspora over time.

Disciplinary Approach

• Attracting interest from multiple fields (anthropology, sociology, international relations, etc.) with communication/media as a newer addition (Karim, 2003; Georgiou, 2007).

• “Imagined Communities”:

  • Diaspora connected through media fostering shared experiences (Karim, 2002).

Identity Creation

• Diasporic identities are fluid, continuously reshaped by cultural practices and media usage (Georgiou, 2001).

  • Importance of media as a sustainer of shared identity among diaspora members.

• Differences Within Diaspora:

  • Varied experiences and identities among members (e.g., Tongan diaspora in the US vs. NZ).

• Coping Mechanisms:

  • Balancing integration needs with maintaining cultural identity leads to hybrid cultural formations (Tsagarousiannou, 2002).

  • Hybridity involves creating new identities from blending cultural backgrounds.

Media’s Role in Diasporic Identity

Misrepresentation in Mainstream Media

• Diasporas often depicted negatively or limited in mainstream narratives (Georgiou, 2007; Spoonley, 2004; Misa, 2008).

• Importance of diasporic media for self-representation (Richards, interview, 2008).

Historical Context

• Diasporic media impacts range from immigrant press to established media forms over decades (Bailey, 2007; Karim, 2003).

• Enhancements in technology allow better maintenance of transnational connections.

New Technologies Impact

• Globalization has paved the way for diaspora media to flourish, addressing the specific identities of diasporic communities (Huang, 2004).

• Challenge of traditional media frames through diverse content offerings from diasporic sources (Georgiou, 2007).

Pacific Islands Diasporas in New Zealand

Historical Framework

• Dispersal of Pacific peoples post-World War II (Howard, 1999).

• Cultural identity development among Tongan youth in Australia (Morton, 1998).

• Classification shifts from Pacific Islanders to Pacific people indicate a cultural, not geographical, connection existence (Macpherson, 2004).

Demographics

• Pacific descent population projected to grow by 181% from 232,000 to 599,000 by 2051 (Cook et al., 2001).

• Selected statistics of diaspora from various Pacific Islands:

Table 1: Pacific Diaspora in New Zealand

Cultural Implications

• Second-generation youth display a shift towards polynesian identities shaped by various cultural influences (Collins, 2008; Teaiwa and Mallon, 2005).

• Media’s role in modifying perceptions and experiences of Pacific Islanders (Spoonley, 2004).

Methodological Framework for Research Project

Research Design Objectives

• Address Pacific Island communities’ information needs through focused methodologies.

  • **Research