Shirley Chung was only twelve months when she was adopted by a American couple during 1966.
Born in the Korean peninsula, her biological father served of the American military, who returned home soon after Shirley was born.
"He left us behind, is the nicest way I can express it," states Shirley, currently in her sixties.
Approximately one year later, Shirley was welcomed into the home of a American pair, who took her back to Texas.
An American Upbringing
She was raised experiencing a lifestyle similar to those of most young Americans.
"I moved and breathed and got in trouble similar to other American teenagers of the 80s. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley says.
Shirley had children, got married and worked as a piano teacher.
Life carried on for many years with no reason to doubt her American identity.
But then in 2012, her world came crashing down.
Citizenship Crisis
She misplaced her Social Security card and needed a replacement.
However when she went to her government agency, Shirley was told she needed to prove her legal standing in the country.
"I experienced an emotional collapse upon discovering I wasn't a citizen," she says.
Widespread Problem
Shirley is not alone. Approximations of how many American adoptees are without citizenship vary between thousands to tens of thousands.
Dozens adopted individuals have been deported to their nations of origin in recent years, according to advocacy groups.
Additional Account
Another woman, preferring to remain unnamed for fear of attracting the attention of government officials, was adopted by an US pair from Iran in 1973 when she was two years old.
"I settled into my existence, consistently believing that I was a US national. That's what I was told. I still believe that today," she states.
Historical Context
For decades, intercountry adoptions authorized through legal systems did not assure US citizenship.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 created progress in addressing this issue, providing immediate citizenship to international adoptees.
Current Fears
Those fears for adoptees and their relatives have risen even further following shifts in administration.
Adoptee rights groups 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 pleas for assistance," said a legal professional specializing in adoptee cases.
Stateless Feeling
"At the end of the day, authorities aren't concerned about your personal history. They're not interested that you're legally here and it's merely documentation issues," she said.
"I frequently explain that one document of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she stated.
"From my perspective right now, I feel stateless."
Potential Solution
Although these individuals being in legal uncertainty for many years, legal experts believe it is simply a matter of political will that should gain bipartisan support from across the political spectrum.
"It should be a straightforward fix: adopted children should be treated the same as their natural brothers and sisters of guardians who were US citizens at the moment of their birth," said an attorney.
Final Plea
The adoptee hopes she could meet with national leaders for a discussion, so she and others like her could share their experiences.
"I would ask him to please have some compassion. We aren't undocumented immigrants," she said.
"We were placed on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Just please hear our story and honor with the commitment that America made to every of the babies that got on those planes: American citizenship."
