My home now : migrants and refugees to New Zealand tell their stories / edited by Gail Thomas and Leanne Mckenzie.

Introduction / Gail Thomas & Leanne McKenzie -- 1. Seeking a better life. South Africa : It would be perfect if it wasn't for the longing / Johann Schoonees. Scotland : The big shift / Alice Baird. Canada : The opportunity of a lifetime / Jon McDade. Korea : A better education / Ju-hee Yeo. Greece : Leaving my Greek island home / Rallou Keeley. Holland : Absolutely no regrets / Ellen Lijzenga. Taiwan : Learning ourselves through helping others / Paul Yen. Namibia : From Windhoek to Palmerston North / Marietjie Changuion. Samoa : A voice to be heard / Bernie Pereira. USA : As good as gold / Patrick Winters. India : Just hang in there / Sunila Wilson. Latvia : DEAFinitely my land / Victoria Igorevna Skorikova. Japan : Going against the flow / Yuki Kodama Kamiya -- 2. Fleeing war and persecution. Croatia : Foreigners in our own land / Sofia. Afghanistan : A miracle reunion / Ghulam. Chile : I had to leave my homeland / Eduardo Diaz. Kosova : A safe haven / Basrije Krasniqi. Ethiopia : Following my father to freedom / Biruktayet Alemayehu. Iraq : Iraqi nomads / Rose Joudi. Burma : The freedom to be myself / Ngam Nyein. Iran : Escape from Iran / Kourosh Nasheri. Somalia : The woman who wears the trousers / Amina Timayare. Kurdistan : A nation without a country / Abbas Ahmed -- 3. Moving to democracy and freedom. Vietnam : I had a dream when I was young / Hanh Pham. Zimbabwe : Much better than Zimbabwe / Kate Callard. Romania : A Transylvanian story / Eniko Burjan. Venezuela : A chance meeting / Omar Gonzalez Guedez. Russia : A new life / Mila. Iraq : Flight to the land of nations / Dr. Abdul Monem Nasser. Bangladesh : No man's land / Mia Dodson. China/Japan : Determined to be together / Ling Dong. Ukraine : I became speechless / Anya Filippochkina. Fiji : Feeling persecuted for my political beliefs / Ami Chand. China : Ling Juan's story / Jenny (Ling Juan) Wang -- 4. Following love and fate. Germany : New Zealand the right choice / Jutta Colwill. India : From Sarbon to the King Country / Leena Tailor. USA : Yes, I'm American / Jody Gorse. Ireland : Sailing to Paradise / Barbara MacFarlane Brown. Sri Lanka : As good as its reputation / Hiranthi Jayasingha. Phillipines : A love of learning and teaching / Genoveva Smallwood. England : I've never looked back / Alan Holmes. Nepal : Roof of the world to the bottom of the world / Suman Poudel. Tonga : It was never in my mind to become a priest / Elenoa Mancini. Israel : A great experience / Ariel Rez. Sweden : If it hadn't been for tennis / Ingela Derlin. Chile/Holland : An immigrant's heart does hurt / Marisol Valenzuela-Dillon. Singapore : It was the year that I arrived in New Zealand.

Compelling life-experiences from migrants and refugees who have made New Zealand home. These stories are as diverse as the nationalities of the people who tell them. Gripping, tender and amusing, the stories show New Zealand in a new and heart-warming way.