AUCKLAND, New Zealand — When I lived in the United States and people learned I was from New Zealand, the immediate response was always something about “The Lord of the Rings” films, which were shot here, but I’ve never seen any of them. People also asked, “Why would you leave there to come to the U.S.?” with the same emphasis as one might ask, “Why would you leave Disneyland to come to the dentist?”
As captured onscreen, New Zealand exists as a coveted, isolated elsewhere in the American imagination. That extends to the country’s political image as a woman-led liberal bastion. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is known for giving birth while in office, containing the spread of COVID-19 and passing gun control laws. But when “New Zealand” trends in the U.S., it’s rarely because of New Zealand at all. Instead, it’s usually because something has happened in the States that feels apocalyptic, and then Americans panic and Google how to move to New Zealand.
Some noticeable peaks in “New Zealand” as a search term include November 2016, when Donald Trump won the presidential election, and then last month, with the overturn of Roe v. Wade. When Americans look up New Zealand residency applications, it’s not because they want to live in Christchurch. It’s because they want to move elsewhere. Anywhere. As far away from where they do live as possible.
