Story: Māori overseas

Eugene Toki, originally from Auckland, moved to Australia in the 1980s. In 1989 he had two jobs – during the week he worked as a fitter, and at weekends he sold T-shirts at Melbourne markets. During 12 years in Australia he was the target of only one racist comment. It was from his fiancée’s grandmother: ‘He isn’t a darkie, is he?’ she had asked. Once Eugene had stopped laughing he easily won her over.