Mobility justice: Tongan elders engaging in temporal trans-Tasman migration for caregiving duties

Abstract

This is an account of the ways that Tongan elders who engage in temporal migration across the Tasman Sea, between Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand have helped to forge mobility justice in their collectives. Their engagement in grandparent duties within their collectives often drives their temporal trans-Tasman migration. Images, narratives, and observations of six Tongan elders’(aged between 60−75 years) trans-Tasman movements related to their familial roles, over a period of eight years (2014–2021), reveals the significance of caregiving for children/grandchildren – tauhi fanau – for many working Tongan families with limited access to affordable childcare in Australia. The cultural practice of shared tauhi fanau promotes collective mobility for many Tongan households. The cultural functions carried out by Tongan elders help to interconnect families, across diaspora contexts. This unique account considers the impact of COVID-19 on Tongan collective mobilities and the re-defining of responsibilities enacted by Tongan elders in their trans-Tasman collectives.