From Europe to the antipodes: acculturation and identity of the Deckston children and kindertransport children in New Zealand

This study concentrates on oral history interviews with the Deckston children – 20 orphans brought to New Zealand from Bialystok in 1935 and 1937, and Kinder-transportees, who emigrated from Britain to New Zealand in 1939-40 and 1946. Whilst the backgrounds of these children differ considerably, they all battled on their antipodean journey with the experience of cultural alienation in a colonial Anglo-phone setting. The analysis of central themes in identity articulation, such as the role of familial or group-centred socialisation, of religion, education, social advancement and engagement with the community, enables a differentiated view of issues related to exile and belonging.