Man, 101, awarded American citizenship

PHOENIX, April 5 (UPI) -- A man sworn in as an American citizen in Phoenix a day before his 101st birthday calls it a "dream come true."

Vicento Osorio Rios -- the first centenarian to become a U.S. citizen in Arizona -- was accompanied in court by three generations of his family as he was sworn in, The Arizona Republic reported Saturday.

"It's a dream come true," Rios said before waving an American flag and raising his hand to his heart.

Rios reportedly came to the United States in 1982 from Peru and recently began preparing to retake his citizenship test after failing it once in 1998. With the support of his family, he finally passed the test in March.

"Even at age 100, I still feel handsome. I have to use my walker and cane, but I still feel young at heart," Rios said.