This study explores the experiences of racial discrimination, scapegoating, stigmatisation and sense of belonging during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand as of the year 2020 to 2021. To do this, racial discrimination, scapegoating and stigmatisation were examined. The main component of research was semi-structured interviews using convenience sampling and the supporting component was a content analysis of news media articles relevant to the research topic using systematic sampling. From these processes, it was found that for most interviewees, their sense of belonging in New Zealand was affected by experiences of racist behaviours prior to the pandemic. It was established that the effects of COVID-19 -- racial discrimination, scapegoating and stigmatisation only amplified the interviewees’ lack of belongingness in New Zealand, with media playing a key role in the interviewees’ perception of said effects. Respectively, these findings put the interviewees' stories and experiences at the forefront, illustrating the lived racism of a person’s life in New Zealand during the pandemic, and demonstrates how such impact came to be.