Alexandru Cionca fled Romania in 2007 at the age of 15. Now he's a New Zealand citizen. Photo / Warren Buckland
Alexandru Cionca fled Romania in 2007 at the age of 15. Now he's a New Zealand citizen. Photo / Warren Buckland
More than a decade after bribing border guards to allow him to flee Romania, Hawke's Bay's first and only Romungro native has become a New Zealand citizen.
Of Romanian nationality, Alexandru Cionca identifies as Romani – an ethnicity of Indo-Aryan people, traditionally nomadic itinerants, living mostly in Europe.
Part ofa subethnicity known as Romungro, Cionca has suffered through years of physical and verbal abuse due to his links to gypsy culture.
But on Wednesday, the 28-year-old became a New Zealand citizen at a ceremony in Napier – signalling the end of a life-long struggle.
Born in the port town of Galati, made famous in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, Cionca was abandoned at birth by his biological Romani parents and left in the care of a Romanian woman.
"Romani typically don't integrate into majoritarian cultures, remain an ethnic minority in all countries they inhabit and are discriminated against," he said.
"If I grew up with my culture I wouldn't have suffered abuse as Romani keep to themselves and stick together."
On Wednesday, Cionca became a New Zealand citizen. Photo / Warren Buckland
Cionca fled his native country in 2007 at the age of 15, bribing border workers to allow him and two friends to cross the border and escape for a better life in Italy.
Paying another bribe to cross the Italian border, Cionca worked as a waiter in Rome for two years before meeting Napier-born Chris Longhurst.
When visiting New Zealand together in 2014, Cionca fell in love with the country and has never left.
"When I first visited Napier I fell in love. It's more liberal, beautiful and free and it has become my new home," he said.
After five years in New Zealand, Cionca became eligible to become a citizen and jumped at the chance.
"This was my home for the last five or six years, but now it's my country," he said. "I'm proud to be a citizen and I'm here forever.
"There are no struggles here. The struggle is over."
Unaware of any other Hawke's Bay residents of Romungro or Romani descent, Cionca, who works as a security officer for Allied Security NZ, says he feels more comfortable showing off his culture, including traditional dress and gold jewellery, without fear of abuse.
"In Romania, the beauty of that tradition gets pushed to the side due to the discrimination," he said.
"Romungro don't migrate easily because they find their security in their own traditions. Everything they do, they do together."
A speaker of the Romungro language, which before the late 19th century was referred as "gypsy language", Cionca also speaks fluent Romanian, Italian and English.
'DiverCity' festival coming to Napier's Sound Shell
Napier's Sound Shell is to host a multicultural performance on May 15.
The "DiverCity" festival, which will run from 11am to 3pm, will feature food stalls, performances and kids' activities.
From belly dancing to African drums and henna tattoos to the Napier Pipe Band, plenty will be on offer at the free family-friendly event.
Organisations including Red Cross, Civil Defence, Neighbourhood Support, Kāinga Ora, English Language Partners, Multicultural Association, Napier Bahai Community and the Electoral Commission will also have stalls.
The event, hosted by the Hawke's Bay Settlement Forum, will be postponed until May 22 if it rains.
Last year's event was cancelled because of Covid-19.
