We Carry Home With Us: Pacific Athlete Migration

Globalisation is not a recent phenomenon, nor does it occur evenly or in a vacuum. Western Scholars have traced the origins of sport-related globalisation back to the 1870s. Interestingly, Pacific migration had long occurred before the arrival of missionaries to the islands. As a result, Pacific diaspora communities can be seen around the world as they establish their families globally. Now, Pacific migration is more complex than one-way migration from the islands to countries like New Zealand and Australia, where many people migrate back and forth to the islands and other countries. This article explores Pacific notions of migration and how this informs Pacific athlete behaviour. Through understanding this phenomenon from a Pacific standpoint, we can identify how sport organisations can be more inclusive. This article aims to inform policies, rules, and regulations in the fields of sports and migration by highlighting how Pacific athletes carry their cultural identity and traditions in a contemporary, globalised sporting era.