The growing diversity of students in mainstream schools in Aotearoa New Zealand is challenging for educators and policy makers alike. Educational researchers in the 21st century have shown that listening to what students have to say about what works best for them is more important than ever. This article discusses the narratives of schooling experiences of two generations of Pasifika students, comparing the experiences of Pasifika students from Auckland secondary schools involved in the Te Kotahitanga project in 2009 with the author’s schooling experiences in the mid-1970s to the early 1980s.