Shirley Chung was just a year old when she was adopted by a American couple during 1966.
Born in South Korea, her biological father was a member of the US armed forces, who went back shortly after Shirley was born.
"He abandoned us, is the nicest way I can express it," states Shirley, now 61.
After around a year, Shirley was adopted by a US couple, who took her back to the Lone Star State.
Growing Up American
Shirley grew up living a life comparable with those of most young Americans.
"I lived and breathed and found mischief like many teenage Americans during the eighties. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley says.
Shirley had children, got married and became a music instructor.
Her life progressed for many years with little cause to doubt her American identity.
But then in 2012, her world came crashing down.
Discovering Non-Citizen Status
She misplaced her Social Security card and needed a replacement.
However when she went to her local Social Security office, Shirley was told she had to demonstrate her legal standing in the country.
"I experienced an emotional collapse after finding out I lacked citizenship," she explains.
A Common Issue
This situation isn't unique. Estimates of how many American adoptees lack citizenship range from thousands to tens of thousands.
Numerous adopted individuals have been deported to their nations of origin in the past decade, as reported by adoptee rights organizations.
Additional Account
A different individual, preferring to remain unnamed for fear of drawing notice of government officials, was taken in by an American couple from the Middle East in 1973 when she was two years old.
"I settled into my existence, always understanding that I was a US national. That's what I was told. I still believe that today," she says.
Legal Background
For decades, international adoptions authorized through legal systems did not assure US citizenship.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 made some headway in rectifying this, providing immediate citizenship to children adopted from abroad.
Present Concerns
These concerns for adopted individuals and their families have increased substantially following recent political changes.
Advocacy organizations say they have been overwhelmed by requests for help and some adoptees have disappeared from public view.
"When the election results came in, it began increasing significantly with requests for help," noted an attorney specializing in adoption law.
Stateless Feeling
"Ultimately, authorities aren't concerned about your back story. They're not interested that you're legally here and it's just a paperwork error," she expressed.
"I always tell people that one document of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she stated.
"As far as I'm concerned currently, I feel without a country."
Potential Solution
Despite adoptees being left in limbo for many years, legal experts believe it is just a case of legislative action that should unite people from all political parties.
"This ought to be a straightforward fix: children through adoption should be treated the same as their natural brothers and sisters of guardians who were American nationals at the moment of their birth," commented a legal advocate.
Last Appeal
Shirley wishes she could get the US president for a discussion, so she and similar individuals could share their experiences.
"I would request to please have some compassion. We aren't undocumented immigrants," she stated.
"We were placed on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Just please hear our accounts and honor with the commitment that America made to every of the children that were brought here: US nationality."
