“Growing up in New Zealand was complex. Looking different, being different, sounding different. I remember straightening my hair just to fit in.” Christchurch musician Valle travels back to his village in Papua New Guinea after a lifetime of feeling disconnected to his roots. “Seeing my face and my DNA, I learnt there is beauty in the Papua New Guinea inside of me. I saw the beauty first hand.”

The Outliers is a series profiling impressive young people from minority backgrounds who are standing out from their peers.

Made with support from NZ On Air.