HOUSTON — Carmen Emilia Hernandez de Jimenez is just a few weeks away from her 103rd birthday.
Her grandchildren call her a living history book. The Katy woman recently started a new chapter as a U.S. citizen.
Jimenez left Colombia almost 30 years ago to join her children who had already moved to America.
Now, practically her whole family is in the United States.
Jimenez is a mother to 11, grandmother to 25, great-grandmother to 14 and great-great-grandmother to 3.
Jimenez told KHOU 11 News she feels like she belongs here. This is where her family is, so she realized it was ridiculous to not make it official.
“I call her a miniature dynamo,” said Adriana Sanchez, her granddaughter. “The fact that she is here and this is where she’s made her life for the last 30 years…to feel like she’s a real part of the country now, is important.”
The matriarch of five generations registered to vote on the same day as her naturalization ceremony. She also empowered her children to do the same, so they could contribute to the country they live in and love.
She says, even though her days here may be numbered, she’s happy to complete them as a U.S. citizen.
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