The United States was built on welcoming those from other lands to create the melting pot of cultures it is today.

Anu Gary, the County Commission records manager, is one of the newest U. S. citizens, receiving her citizenship Aug. 31, 2015.

Born in Finland, Gary first came to the U.S, in 1992 as an exchange student.

“I lived in Hawaii as an exchange student and fell in love with it,” she says. “I was 17 at the time, so I didn’t immediately think I wanted to become a citizen. At 17, I don’t think you really think about that. As the years went by, I realized I really liked this place.”

Gary spent five years in Hawaii, going home each year to renew her student visa.

“Student visas are only good for one year,” she says. “I came back with another visa every year until I got my permanent residency.”

Gary moved to Birmingham in 1996 and met her husband, Patrick, who was living in Gulf Shores at the time.

“We dated long distance for a while then it came for one of us to move, so I moved to the beach,” Gary says, laughing.

Gary moved to Baldwin County and has been the County Commission records manager since 2005.

Although she became a U.S. citizen on Aug. 31, Gary admits she wasn’t expecting to become a citizen that day. She was told she would have to come back to Atlanta for that.

“There were other people there that traveled very far and they had a special ceremony for them,” she says. “They were able to do my ceremony that day.”

Gary began the citizenship process in May and submitted her application in June.

“I was very surprised at how quickly everything went,” she says. “I was prepared for months and months on in. Once I submitted my paperwork, they called me and I went to New Orleans for finger printing. Very quickly after, they called me and gave me a date to come to Atlanta. I think the speed of the process depends on the volume of applicants and paperwork they have at that time, and I just got really lucky.”

There are different ways to apply for citizenship under different criteria, based on marriage, military service and other circumstances.

“They ask for tax records to make sure if you’ve been living here, you’ve been doing the responsible thing,” Gary says. “They do check a lot of stuff I didn’t think they would.”

When Gary was finger printed, she was given a book with 100 possible civics questions.

“You don’t know what they’re going to ask, so you have to study the whole book,” Gary says. “I got the audio CD, and I would listen to it on the way to work and back. I remember thinking, ‘I’m not going to pass it!’ In the end, it was very easy. I was asked less than 10 questions in person at the interview. If you study your little pamphlet, you’ll do fine.”

Gary currently lives in south Baldwin County with her husband and three children.

“I’m really excited to be a citizen,” she says. “I’ve lived here for so long now and people have been so welcoming. I want to be a part of it. I want to vote and now I’m able to do that. My kids are American citizens, so it’s nice now that we all are.”

Could you pass the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Test?

1. What is the supreme law of the land?

2. What does the Constitution do?

3. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

4. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?

5. Name one branch or part of the government.

6. What is the political party of the president now?

7. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?

8. Name one state that borders Mexico.

9. What is the name of the national anthem?

10. Name one U.S. territory.

Answers:

1. the Constitution

2. sets up the government, defines the government, protects basic rights of Americans

3. the Bill of Rights

4. We the People

5. Congress, legislative, president, executive, the courts, judicial

6. Democratic (Party)

7. John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr.)

8. California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

9. The Star-Spangled Banner

10. Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam