Families come together at Rotorua's citizenship ceremony

The Lazaro family (from left) Kier Lazaro, Aleli Lazaro, Karla Lazaro, Keira Lazaro and Ronnell Lazaro are officialy New Zealand citizens. Photo/Ben Fraser

New citizens donned their cultural attire, shared their stories and cried tears of joy at Rotorua's citizenship ceremony.

Family, friends and colleagues filled the Rotorua Lakes Council Chamber as 28 people became New Zealand citizens yesterday. For the Lazaro family it has been a long journey to becoming New Zealand citizens.

In 2008 then father of two Ronnel Lazaro left his wife and children in the Philippines behind to start a new life in New Zealand.

"For those who haven't been in that situation it's hard to understand, but it is tough."

In 2011 his wife and children made their way to New Zealand and not long after they arrived they welcomed their third child.

Karla Lazaro is now 5 and was the only New Zealand citizen in the family.

"She actually pushed the rest of us to become Kiwis," Mr Lazaro said.

"It was funny, but also quite sad when she came and asked me why she was different.

"She was worried she wasn't part of the family."

The Lazaro family (from left) Kier Lazaro, Aleli Lazaro, Karla Lazaro, Keira Lazaro and Ronnell Lazaro are officialy New Zealand citizens. Photo/Ben Fraser

Yesterday Karla joined her dad, mum Aleli, older brother Kier, and older sister Keira, as they all became citizens.

"We are so grateful and pretty excited to have this," Mr Lazaro said.

"We are now a proud Kiwi family, choice, New Zealand."

Jassmine Ajmera waves to her mum as she becomes a New Zealand citizen. Photo/Ben Fraser

Indian-born Jassmine Ajmera wasn't able to have her family with her at the ceremony.

Like the Lazaro family she moved to New Zealand in 2008 and thought it was "high time" she became a citizen.

Fortunately for Miss Ajmera her mum was able to join the celebrations live on the phone from India.

Pupils from Saint Michael's Catholic School performed a haka and waiata for the new citizens.

Each family was gifted the book Choice and a seedling to lay roots here in New Zealand as they took their oath.

Mayor Steve Chadwick also read a new addition to the ceremony programme, which outlines the concept behind Vision 2030.

In total, one Malaysian, nine British, nine Filipino, four Indians, one Chilean, one South African, one Taiwanese, one Chinese and one Canadian person became New Zealand citizens.

New citizens:
Siew-Bek Goh-Robinson, Andrew John Robinson, Euan Robinson, Ronnell Ordonez Lazaro, Aleli de Vera Lazaro, Kier William de Vera Lazaro, Keira de Vera Lazaro, Manoj Kumar Manhas, Daniel Alejandro Manzano Sepulveda, Luzviminda Macol Martinez, Celso Tejada Martinez, Louie Marie Macol Martinez, Carlo Luiz Macol Martinez, Boris Ceazar Macol Martinez, Peter Robson, Margaret Elizabeth Robson, Tracey Smitsdorff, Douglas Craig Swinyard, Jassmine Ajmera, Chao-Yu Chen, Timothy James Cooke, Carroll Elaine Hill, Ran Li, Ashwin Khandubhai Patel, Sankaranarayanan Ramanathan, Radhakrishnan, John David Irvine Reid, Melanie Jane Reid, Marlene Mary Watson-Hall.