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Pasifika peoples in Australia generally refer to migrants from the Pacific region (Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia) and their descendants. Despite their unique strengths and rich cultural heritage, young Pasifika peoples in Australia can experience challenges navigating different worlds. This paper describes the experiences of belonging and identity that shape Pasifika young people (16–24 years) living in the Logan area, SouthEast Queensland. A total of 30 talanoas with young people were conducted. The research revealed how, through habitual use of places and the performance of everyday life, Pasifika young people create a sense of belonging in place and form dynamic, multicultural identities, and places of belonging, accruing what has been termed ‘polycultural capital’.

Physical activity (PA) is vital to the optimal health and development of children and in turn, independent mobility (IM) - outdoor play and travelling to destinations unsupervised - is an essential component of PA for children. There is a growing body of research on the extent to which children’s daily IM and PA are influenced by parents’ experiences and perceptions of streets and public spaces as safe and desirable – or otherwise. However, little is known about Samoan parents’ experiences and perceptions of their social and physical surroundings and the associated impact on their children’s daily IM and PA. Extended families, traditional households and the village-based life of Samoan people are changing. For Samoan people in New Zealand, the transition from a traditional ad hoc and exchange-based way of life to a modern, more formal and cash-based socio-economic reality has seen Samoan parents increasingly living in a ‘rat race’. This modern reality has influenced Samoan parenting practices in New Zealand. This research is nested in and arose from the ‘Kids in the City’ (KITC) research project – a Health Research Council funded study of the independent mobility and physical activity of children, in relation to neighbourhood urban design and neighbourhood perceptions of safety in six Auckland neighbourhoods. The critical realism approach from KITC was used to identify the underlying mechanisms influencing Samoan parents’ parenting practices and children’s IM and PA behaviours. Three methods were used to collect the data: computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) with parents (n=36); semi-structured interviews with parents (n=14), follow up interviews with parents (n=8), and key informant interviews (n=6); as well as 7-day selfreported travel diaries kept by the children (n=37). Triangulating the data collection methods allowed varied perspectives on the influences of Samoan parenting practices to be gathered, as well as information on how their perceptions of t