Regina Njuangang could not stop smiling. Her dream of finally becoming an American citizen had come true.“I am so happy,” said the immigrant from the Republic of Cameroon.In a ceremony in the auditorium of the main Akron-Summit County Public Library in downtown Akron, the 58-year-old and 34 others from 23 countries became American citizens on Friday.Njuangang, of Brunswick, held her citizenship document in her hand and said it was a prayerful moment now that she was an American citizen.“I feel different now,” she said.She came to the United States 13 years ago, when her daughter and son-in-law moved to Brunswick.She said she could compare the feeling of Friday to only one other day in her life: the day she married her late husband in Africa.“I am so happy,” she repeated.The ceremony was co-sponsored by the library and the Akron Bar Association in recognition of the approval and signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787.Each year, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services welcomes about 680,000 citizens in naturalization ceremonies like the one held Friday at the library.A total of 8,617 Ohioans became U.S. citizens during the 2010 fiscal year, according to the agency. California led the country in new citizenships with 129,354.In 2009, 74 percent of all people naturalized lived in 10 states: California, New York, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Virginia, Massachusetts, Washington and Maryland. The top countries of origin for naturalization were Mexico, India, the Philippines, China and Vietnam.The journey to citizenship for one of the new citizens, Sanysalva Torres-Cruz, 31, of Akron, began when she came to Florida from Mexico at the age of 7 to join family members already living in America.Torres-Cruz, a nursing assistant at Rockynol Ledges Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center, said she has been working for the past two years to get her citizenship.“I love the country,” she said. She said being a citizen will open doors for her.In fact, she said she has received a job offer from a federal agency to be a translator because she is fluent in both English and Spanish, But the last hurdle to get the federal job was for her to become a U.S. citizen.“I belong here,” she said of her love of America.Torres-Cruz started her citizenship day by working four hours at Rockynol, where she has been employed for six years.“You are now citizens and you stand equal to all other citizens of this great country,” said U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi, who officiated at the event and is the daughter of an immigrant.“You are an American citizen as fully as those of us who were fortunate enough to have been born as citizens of this great nation.” As the new citizens walked onto the stage to receive their citizenship papers, they were handed white or red carnations.Many waved at the audience and posed for pictures.Irmtraud Teets and her identical twin sister, Ursula Kuehn, 71, now of Barberton, were thrilled to be new American citizens.The sisters were born in Hanover, Germany. Teets has been in the United States for 41 years and her sister, for 20 years.“I am caught up in the moment,” said Teets. “I am an American. I feel like I belong.”To naturalize, or become a citizen, a person must be at least 18 years old; have been granted lawful permanent resident status in the United States and have resided in the country continuously for at least five years; must speak, read, write and understand English; must have knowledge about the U.S. government and history; and must be of good moral character.For information about citizenship, go to www.uscis.gov/citizenship or call 800-375-5283.Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or at jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.