Shirley Chung was only twelve months when she was taken in by a US family back in 1966.
Hailing from the Korean peninsula, her biological father was a member of the US armed forces, who went back soon 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 American pair, who took her back to Texas.
An American Upbringing
She was raised living a life similar to that of many American youths.
"I lived and breathed and found mischief similar to other American teenagers during the eighties. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley recalls.
Shirley had children, entered matrimony and worked as a piano teacher.
Her life progressed for many years with little cause to doubt her US citizenship.
However in 2012, her world came crashing down.
Citizenship Crisis
She misplaced her government identification and required a new one.
However when she visited her local Social Security office, Shirley was told she needed to prove her status in the country.
"I had a little mental breakdown upon discovering I lacked citizenship," she explains.
A Common Issue
This situation isn't unique. Approximations of how many US adopted individuals lack citizenship vary between thousands to tens of thousands.
Dozens adoptees have been deported to their countries of birth in the past decade, as reported by advocacy groups.
Another Story
A different individual, preferring to remain unnamed for concern about attracting the attention of government officials, was adopted by an American couple from Iran in 1973 when she was two years old.
"I settled into my life, consistently believing that I was a US national. That was what I learned. I continue to feel that today," she states.
Legal Background
For decades, intercountry adoptions approved by legal systems did not automatically guarantee 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 since shifts in administration.
Adoptee rights groups say they have been overwhelmed by requests for help and certain individuals have gone into hiding.
"When the election results came in, it began increasing significantly with pleas for assistance," noted a legal professional working with adoptee cases.
Lacking National Identity
"At the end of the day, authorities aren't concerned about your personal history. They don't care that your presence is lawful and it's merely documentation issues," she said.
"I always tell people this one single piece of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she said.
"From my perspective currently, I feel without a country."
Potential Solution
Despite adoptees being in legal uncertainty for many years, attorneys believe it is simply a matter of legislative action that should gain bipartisan support from across the political spectrum.
"This ought to be a straightforward fix: children through adoption should be equal to their natural brothers and sisters of parents who were American nationals at the time of birth," said an attorney.
Final Plea
Shirley wishes she could meet with national leaders into a room, so she and others like her could share their experiences.
"I would ask him to please have some compassion. We're not illegal aliens," she stated.
"We were placed on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Please listen to our accounts and please follow through with the commitment that the United States made to every of the babies that got on those planes: US nationality."
