Kia ora koutou katoa,

I will be standing outside Whakaata Māori TV in Auckland starting at 7:30 AM, Monday 14 April 2025.

If anyone wants to offer support, bring coffee, or just talk, you’re welcome.

I know I'm not alone here.   I'm not a shy person, and I've talked plenty about this with others.   We're out there, and there's alot of us - undervalued people who came to Aotearoa thinking "I can fill this gap on the skill shortage list.  They need me, and this place sounds perfect!"

Except when we arrived we were told:

"You're overqualified"

"You'd get bored"

"Why are you here?"

"We're looking for more of a cultural fit"

"You need to be more humble"

"All Americans lie on their CV, what did you really do?"

After cleaning feces off the walls in Whangarei city jail every night, with sweat bleaching my clothes white, and still trying to network only to be looked at like I was a lunatic, I realized something.

It's not about humility.   It's about submission.

My skills were only wanted on paper.   The years of news articles my dad would send me, encouraging me to see opportunities here and maybe one day contribute - these were based on half-truths.

Yes, your skills are needed, but only under certain unspoken terms.

How is this right?

My journey here has reached a crossroads.   I moved out here in 2018 with 2 years of savings, thinking if the going got tough I'd be OK.    I've stretched that to almost 7 years now... but next month the money runs out.

I'm not begging for cash.   I will not be turned into a beggar. 

I'm using my situation to shine a light on the ugly undercurrents here, and begin an honest conversation.

My resume and career history does not matter.  But my voice might.