Vani and Teresa Toelau are a Samoan/Filipino couple living in Auckland. They talk about their experience navigating a bicultural relationship and dealing with the grief of miscarriage. They openly discuss their romance journey and how they plan on raising their newborn child in a way that embraces both cultures. Vani talks about his experience of being raised with strong Samoan cultural roots, whereas Teresa battled with her own cultural identity when her family moved from the Philippines to New Zealand. They are co-owners of Strong Side gym in West Auckland and talk about how COVID has forced them to pivot the business.

Ravinder Hunia is an award winning sports journalist and talks to us about her interesting family dynamics, with her mum being Māori (from Te Puke) and her father Punjab (Daroli Khurd), and what that was like growing up in New Zealand. She shares the struggles (and wins) she has faced as a female sports journalist and how at times, male journalists wouldn’t talk to her, because she is a wāhine. Ravinder is a mother of 3, a wife and currently works as a Sky Sports presenter.

Hosts Maia Wilson and Johnson Raela present Coco-Ngāti. A podcast that combines cross-cultural, wahine Māori and Pacific male perspectives on issues and topics relating to us. It’s our stories, by our people. Season one focuses on ‘being mixed race in Aotearoa’. We talk to inspiring people who openly share about the struggles of cultural identity, finding their place in the world, mixed race relationships, raising children who are mixed race and their experiences with racism. Made with support from Foundation North Pacific Future Makers Fund.