Minister for Ethnic Affairs Hon. George Hawkins has welcomed 350 people to New Zealand at a Citizenship Ceremony in Manukau City.

George Hawkins said Manukau is truly the Face of the Future New Zealand: "Manukau has a rich diversity of peoples, cultures, and creeds. It is heartening to have taken part in a ceremony that clearly encourages and supports a vibrant multi-cultural community," George Hawkins said.

Each month Manukau City Council holds a Citizenship Ceremony for 350 recent migrants.

"And each month Manukau Mayor Sir Barry Curtis provides a superb swearing in ceremony for people who have settled in Manukau from all over the world," George Hawkins said.

"The new New Zealand citizens are greeted in their own language by Sir Barry and are personally encouraged to take full advantage of the opportunity that New Zealand has to offer them.

"Every person who settles in New Zealand brings with them their own unique experiences. Their knowledge, their culture, language and traits potentially enriches all who meet and share their New Zealand experience.

"It is important that those who settle in New Zealand keep their language alive. Language is the key to their culture, to their history, to their own uniqueness.

"Language is what will help their children and indeed their children's children to identify with where they came from. And as their children grow, it is this language that will instil pride of having experienced growing up in a family that shares two languages and perhaps two cultures," George Hawkins said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media