Man to take US citizenship at 104

"Give me your tired, your poor..." and your very old as well

A new life is about to begin for Shlema Livshits when he takes American citizenship this week.

He is doing what millions have done before him, but Mr Livshits is set to become one of the oldest people to ever make that move - because he is 104.

Born during the reign of Russian Czar Nicolas II, he left Ukraine for the US in 1996 with his son Vladimir.

Vladimir, a mere youngster at 72, will also be taking the oath of citizenship at Wednesday's ceremony in Tennessee.

"I love America and I enjoy living in America," Vladimir told the BBC's World Today programme.

But he said it was "hard to say" how difficult it was for his father to settle in a new country at such a mature age.

"Because most of the time he doesn't speak. He cannot hear - his hearing is very bad," Vladimir said.

He said the pair decided to apply for the citizenship because they wanted to become, as he put it, full American citizens with voting rights.

"The second cause is that if after seven years in America we don't get citizenship, we cannot receive any help from the government," Vladimir added.

He expressed hopes that his father will be well enough to go to the ceremony unassisted despite being "very weak".