This book seeks to untangle the slippery notions of wellbeing constructs of the Trans-Tasman Pacific Islander community and presents case studies from diverse disciplines that grapple with Pacific wellbeing. Subjective and objective realms of Pacific wellbeing are woven together through Indigenous-led research approaches. The edited book redefines and illustrates notions of wellbeing as it relates to Pacific people living in Australia and New Zealand—the Trans-Tasman diaspora—through values-driven and strengths-based transdisciplinary research to inform applications in real-world contexts. The book presents broad and focused insights of the multi-faceted understandings of Pacific wellbeing compiled and authored by leading Pacific Islander researchers in the fields of Pacific communities, health, education, psychology, housing, economic mobility, and identity politics. Book chapters are presented with didactic sections about research methodologies and research recommendations contributing accessible tools for policy-making and to support future research about Pacific wellbeing.

Dr. Charmaine ‘Ilaiū Talei is a New Zealand-born Tongan (Tatakamōtonga, Houma) who works between Auckland, Brisbane, Kingdom of Tonga, and Fiji. She is an architect, researcher and educator at Te Pare School of Architecture, Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland. Charmaine is the Director of Fofonga, which is the university’s research platform to support and enable Pacific research excellence. As a registered architect in Queensland Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, Charmaine has practiced architecture for over fifteen years specializing in cross-cultural design with Indigenous communities and working on a range of projects in the Pacific Islands. Charmaine is a leading researcher of Pacific architecture and has published widely in international architectural journals and books. Her work covers Pacific sociospatial practices and worldmaking that contribute to housing wellbeing, which is explored in this book. Other relevant research interests are Pacific multigenerational housing, architectural histories of Tongan and Fijian architectures, Pacific building technologies, and culturally responsive design methodologies across the Trans-Tasman architectural profession. Charmaine’s PhD research on the transformation of Tongan domestic architecture was published in Springer’s The Handbook of Contemporary Indigenous Architecture.
 
Dr. Ruth (Lute) Faleolo is a New Zealand-born Tongan, Australian-based Pasifika researcher of Pacific peoples’ migration histories, trans-Pacific mobilities, collective agencies, and multi-sited Pacific e-cultivation of cultural heritage. Her background is in education (2003-current) and social sciences (1992-current). Ruth’s Ph.D. research presents interdisciplinary understandings drawn from a mixed methods study of Trans-Tasman Pasifika wellbeing perspectives and experiences in Auckland and Brisbane (2015–2020). Her current postdoctoral work, alongside a global team of scholars, extends her Ph.D. study of Pasifika migration, widely considering the intersections of their histories with Indigenous peoples and their continued contemporary mobilities, to and through Australia (2020-2023). Ruth also works in collaboration with Pasifika educators/researchers in significant trans-Tasman projects to promote Pacific peoples’ holistic wellbeing and success, in Aotearoa and Australia.

Dr. Lefaoali'i Dion Enari is an Associate Professor at the Ngā Wai a Te Tūī (Māori and Indigenous Research Centre) and School of Healthcare and Social Practice at Unitec Institute of Technology. He is also a High Orator Chief from Lepa, Samoa with the title Lefaoali'i. His research interests include Sport management, Sport leadership, Mental health, and Pacific languages. He is a regular author and interviewee on several international and national media platforms including World news, ABC News, ABC Radio, The Guardian, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Radio New Zealand, Samoa Observer, and The New Zealand Herald advocating for Pacific governance and education issues. Dion’s research has been published in a range of academic outlets including the International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Sport in Society, Anthropology and Education Quarterly, and many more. 

Dr Sam Manuela is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology and Associate Dean Pacific in the Faculty of Science at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland. He was born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand and is of Cook Islands Māori and Pākehā descent. His research focuses on the influences of culture, ethnic identity, and wellbeing among Pacific peoples in Aotearoa context. Dr Manuela’s work includes the development of the Pacific Identity and Wellbeing Scale, a quantitative assessment tool grounded in both Pacific and psychological theories of identity. He teaches across the psychology curriculum, with particular emphasis on cultural psychology and Pacific Psychologies, and is committed to integrating culturally grounded perspectives into psychological education and training.

Dr Sam Manuela is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology and Associate Dean Pacific in the Faculty of Science at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland. He was born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand and is of Cook Islands Māori and Pākehā descent. His research focuses on the influences of culture, ethnic identity, and wellbeing among Pacific peoples in Aotearoa context. Dr Manuela’s work includes the development of the Pacific Identity and Wellbeing Scale, a quantitative assessment tool grounded in both Pacific and psychological theories of identity. He teaches across the psychology curriculum, with particular emphasis on cultural psychology and Pacific Psychologies, and is committed to integrating culturally grounded perspectives into psychological education and training.