Financial and sociocultural factors impacting male migrant Filipino nurses and construction workers’ families living in New Zealand
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Authors
Querido, Mara Erica
Author ORCID Profiles (clickable)
Degree
Master of Applied Practice (Social Practice)
Grantor
Unitec, Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology
Date
2025
Supervisors
Gremillion, Helen
Anderson, Helen
Anderson, Helen
Type
Masters Thesis
Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)
Keyword
New Zealand
Filipinos in New Zealand
migrant experiences
nurses
male nurses
construction workers
migrant workers
migrant families
Filipino diaspora
acculturation
Filipinos in New Zealand
migrant experiences
nurses
male nurses
construction workers
migrant workers
migrant families
Filipino diaspora
acculturation
ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)
Citation
Querido, M.E. (2025). Financial and sociocultural factors impacting male migrant Filipino nurses and construction workers’ families living in New Zealand (Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Practice (Social Practice)). Unitec, Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology
https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6938
Abstract
KEY RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What are Filipino migrants’ motivations for moving to live and work in New Zealand? What sociocultural and economic factors have shaped their decision-making?
2. How do Filipino migrants’ experiences of living and working in New Zealand (in the construction and nursing sectors) compare with their hopes and expectations, and what challenges do these migrants face? What shifts in sociocultural roles accompany these experiences?
3. What changes, preparations, perspectives and/or information are needed to better support Filipino migrant workers and their family members to thrive in New Zealand?
ABSTRACT
The study explores financial and sociocultural factors impacting Filipino migrant families’ experiences of working and living in New Zealand. Focusing on families that include male nurses and construction workers, the study identifies participants’ motivations to migrate as well as the challenges and opportunities they face, and examines reconfigurations of family and gender roles among other shifts in traditional cultural values. The project employed a mixed methodological approach, combining the Filipino indigenous Sikolohiyang Pilipino framework with qualitative descriptive methodology. Data collection involved participatory techniques such as pakikipagkwentuhan (storytelling) and pagtatanong-tanong (inquiry). Purposive sampling identified four Filipino migrant families in the Auckland area, two of which included male nurses and the other two, male construction workers. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.
The key findings reveal that Filipino migrant in New Zealand face both advantages and challenges in the new environment. Findings highlight that migration is primarily motivated by economic goals, with families seeking financial stability and improved quality of life. New Zealand’s favourable immigration policies and family-friendly atmosphere make it an appealing destination. The participants demonstrate resilience in adapting to high living costs, often through lifestyle change and compromise. Migrants' professional experiences vary, with some valuing New Zealand’s work-life balance, and others facing issues around getting full-time jobs and lack of recognition for foreign qualifications. Sociocultural transitions, including shifts in gender roles and in perceptions of these roles, are evident as participants adapt to the New Zealand context. Filipino values, such as respect for elders, remain essential in family life, though participants also integrate local norms, especially in parenting and education. Children’s experiences reflect a blend of Filipino and New Zealand cultural influences, with families appreciating the accessible education system but noting challenges in adjusting to new social and cultural expectations.
There is limited existing scholarly literature on whole family experiences of migration. In addition to addressing this gap, the project offers suggestions for better supporting Filipino migrant workers and their family members to thrive in New Zealand. Further research with larger and more diverse sample sizes is warranted to uncover evolving cultural and familial dynamics among Filipino migrants in New Zealand.
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