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    Iraqi woman, 111, sworn in as US citizen

    STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (AP) — An Iraqi native has become a U.S. citizen at age 111.

    WWJ-AM reports (http://cbsloc.al/whya5c ) that Warina Zaya Bashou took the oath of citizenship Friday at her Sterling Heights home, north of Detroit.

    The radio station says Bashou was surrounded by about a dozen relatives and friends during the ceremony.

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokeswoman Marilu Cabrera says Bashou was born in 1900 and is the second-oldest person on record to be naturalized.

    Bashou credits her longevity to drinking green tea.

    Bashou has been in the United States nine years. She said through an interpreter that becoming a citizen is something she wanted to do for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to remember her by.

    She turns 112 in July.

    ___

    Associated Press photographer Paul Sancya contributed to this report.

    ___

    Information from: WWJ-AM, http://www.wwj.com

     
    • Scott the Travelor  •  Orlando, Florida  •  4 days ago
      You could of done a better job at reporting by reporting her date of birth.
    • KC  •  Clarksville, Tennessee  •  4 mths ago
      She's the SECOND oldest? Who was the oldest for pete's sake?
      • Mikey 4 mths ago
        was it Pete?
      • Pavel 4 mths ago
        I think the oldest was 115 years old grandpa.
      • Joel A 4 mths ago
        Who realy cares?
    • Zapp  •  4 mths ago
      She doesn't look a day over 108!
    • A Yahoo! User  •  4 mths ago
      Writes note to self, "Need to buy some green tea".
      • Larry 4 mths ago
        Green tea is a strong antioxidant and flushes out , at a cellular level, all the crap in your body if you drink it daily, hot or ice tea. I'm 60 and feel 20. I love green ice tea with a mix of Liptons or what ever is your favorite.
      • C 4 mths ago
        not sure I want to live that long, why?
      • Gene Talarico 4 mths ago
        note to self.....time to smoke the green stuff
    • Thomas  •  4 mths ago
      In Australia, you can't even apply for citizenship unless you can prove you are financially able to support yourself and even then it's almost impossible for the elderly.
      • A Yahoo! User 4 mths ago
        If the US did that, Americans would be labeled ever more as the world's most racist people.
      • here we go 4 mths ago
        I don't think she will be working!
      • Abbie 4 mths ago
        The United States' pop is 312 million and Australia's pop is 22 million so they can afford to have more restrictions; here in the US, we can let in sweet grandmothers whose only dream is to live here...God Bless her and God Bless the US.
    • William S  •  Las Vegas, Nevada  •  4 mths ago
      When my grandfather was in his 80's he went for citizen ship. The judge siad he was too old and not to waste the courts time. My grandfather went to the judges funeral a few years later.
      • Steve 4 mths ago
        Where was he from?
      • ll 4 mths ago
        this is a lie
      • Rucko 4 mths ago
        yeah, when my grandfather was 80 he was really 45..
    • Terril  •  New Orleans, Louisiana  •  4 mths ago
      I wonder what kind of stories she would share. 111 years? You got the Ottoman Empire, WW1, the Arab Revolt, Mandates, WW2, the Anglo-Iraqi War, and all the stuff that followed. Bless her and her family.
    • Snappy  •  Atlanta, Georgia  •  4 mths ago
      I don't care where she come from 111 years of watching the insanity that goes on on this planet is a phenomenal feat for anyone,but especially for A Lady from Iraq...Can you imagine even half of the stuff she must have witnessed in her lifetime? This Lady deserves a lot of respect and honor
    • anti obummer  •  San Martin, California  •  4 mths ago
      I thought you had to speak english
    • Ladybug  •  Chicago, Illinois  •  4 mths ago
      My grandmother was also born in 1900 and has been gone only 10 years. And she drank
      green tea every day of her life. I highly recommend it.
    • lucy  •  4 mths ago
      NPR said she was from Iran. and the link says Iran but the article says Iraq. Which is it?
    • WilliamM  •  4 mths ago
      Well, which is it, Iraqi or Iranian?
    • RayH  •  Shanghai, China  •  4 mths ago
      Will she be the oldest to vote in November?
    • John  •  Los Angeles, California  •  4 mths ago
      2nd oldest?! Whos the oldest!?
    • princess  •  4 mths ago
      Look she came here legally and look how old she is. Why can't the illegals get off their #$%$ and come here legally like my Chinese, Lebanese, and Egytian neighbors did. They all waited their turn, learned to speak English and paid the fees.
    • Mongo  •  Pinckney, Michigan  •  4 mths ago
      Speaking the english language is a requirement for citizenship, why did she need an interpreter?
    • newheadlines  •  Cranston, Rhode Island  •  4 mths ago
      Good for her she did it right, welcome to America
    • Bob P  •  San Francisco, California  •  4 mths ago
      Cool and all but can't speak the language?
      "She said through an interpreter" isn't one of the requirements that you can at least speak in english?
    • Bobbie  •  Big Lake, Alaska  •  4 mths ago
      Good for her! I say that it is great! Takes balls to do something like this at her age, and determination too. All political #$%$ aside, it is pretty inspirational that a 112 year old would undertake such a thing~
    • hookedonharley  •  4 mths ago
      well now she qualifies for a TSA pat down anywhere she flies. BUT, GOOD FOR HER! ! ! !
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