New race relations commissioner Meng Foon told Morning Report last week his first moves in the role will be to continue the debate on "hate speech, phobias, the isms in our country".
He says there are still pockets of racism in New Zealand.
RNZ has spoken to students and staff at the University of Canterbury about their experiences of racism.
Afghanistan-born Bariz Shah, the president of the University's Muslim Students' Association, spoke to RNZ's Anan Zaki about growing up as a immigrant in New Zealand.
