Extravaganza of ethnic events are bringing communities together
Over the past two weeks, New Zealand has been a smorgasbord of bi-cultural celebrations, with the many from within our ethnic communities putting on festive displays of tradition and culture.
I have attended many of events hosted by many different ethnic communities and have been impressed by the willingness of so many New Zealanders to share their bi-cultural identity and embrace our country's diversity.
Celebrations of individual cultures, like the recent Filipino Independence Day, Singapore Independence Day, Indian Independence Day and Pakistan Independence Day have given members of our ethnic communities a chance to give their fellow New Zealanders an insight into the many different cultural influences that makes our country thrive.
They have also given other New Zealanders an opportunity to further understand the many different cultures and the people that are proud to call themselves New Zealanders.
These celebrations not only provide individual communities a platform to express their bi-cultural identities, but they also allow New Zealanders of all backgrounds to learn about the many different cultures that are the backbone of our country.
They are a chance to showcase the many different sights, sounds and tastes that contribute to our melting pot of cultures through dance, song, food and other celebrations of culture.
This was also evident at the Migrating Kitchen Exhibition at Pataka Museum in Porirua, where six different ethnic cultures have given an insight into their kitchens and their culture.
Food is a way to connect people of all cultures and backgrounds through the preparation and sharing of the meal and the Migrating Kitchen Exhibition shows that there are many different flavours and identities that make the broth inside New Zealand's melting pot rich and diverse.
As well as attending the launch of Migrating Kitchen and the various Independence Day celebrations, I also had the pleasure of attending a ceremony to start Islam Awareness Week in Wellington, where I launched the Office of Ethnic Affairs' online Muslim Women's Directory.
The directory - which is available at http://www.ethnicaffairs.govt.nz/ - is the result of a collaborative effort between the Office of Ethnic Affairs and Islamic Women's Council of New Zealand.
It brings together 26 Muslim women's organisations in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch so they can work together more effectively.
The Muslim faith spans across more than 40 different ethnic communities in New Zealand and this Directory is a way for these communities to work together to achieve their goals with a national focus.
It is important that members of our ethnic communities are able to network, not just within their own communities, but with all new Zealanders.
As I have said before, my vision as Minister for Ethnic Affairs is for all New Zealanders to be confident, equal and proud citizens who can reach their full potential and contribute to our country.
Celebrations of our many bi-cultural identities are a way of achieving this because it shows that our ethnic communities are confident in showcasing their proud backgrounds to the benefit of all New Zealanders.
The past two weeks have seen New Zealanders truly embrace the many different ethnicities that can be described as "Kiwi".
