Shirley Chung was just a year old when she was taken in by a US family back in 1966.
Born in the Korean peninsula, her birth father was a member of the American military, who returned home soon after Shirley was born.
"He abandoned us, is the nicest way I can express it," states Shirley, now 61.
Approximately one year later, Shirley was adopted by a US couple, who brought her to Texas.
Growing Up American
She was raised living a life comparable with those of most American youths.
"I moved and breathed and got in trouble like many teenage Americans during the eighties. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley recalls.
She became a mother, got married and worked as a piano teacher.
Her life progressed for many years with no reason 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 required a new one.
However when she went to her government agency, Shirley was informed she had to demonstrate her status in the country.
"I had an emotional collapse upon discovering I lacked citizenship," she says.
Widespread Problem
Shirley is not alone. Estimates of how many US adopted individuals lack citizenship range from thousands to tens of thousands.
Dozens adoptees have been removed to their countries of birth in recent years, as reported by advocacy groups.
Additional Account
A different individual, preferring to remain unnamed for fear of drawing notice of government officials, was adopted by an US pair from Iran in 1973 when she was two years old.
"I settled into my existence, always understanding that I was an American citizen. That was what I learned. I still believe that today," she states.
Historical Context
Over many years, intercountry adoptions authorized through legal systems did not assure US citizenship.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 created progress in rectifying this, providing immediate citizenship to children adopted from abroad.
Present Concerns
These concerns for adopted individuals and their relatives have increased substantially following recent political changes.
Adoptee rights groups say they have been flooded with requests for help and certain individuals have disappeared from public view.
"Following political outcomes were announced, it started to really cascade with requests for help," said an attorney specializing in adoptee cases.
Lacking National Identity
"Ultimately, 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 frequently explain that one document of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she said.
"From my perspective right now, I feel without a country."
Potential Solution
Although these individuals being in legal uncertainty for decades, legal experts believe it is simply a matter of legislative action that should gain bipartisan support from all political parties.
"It should be a straightforward fix: children through adoption should be equal to their natural brothers and sisters of guardians who were US citizens at the time of birth," commented a legal advocate.
Final Plea
Shirley wishes she could get the US president for a discussion, so she and similar individuals could explain their stories.
"I would request to show understanding. We aren't undocumented immigrants," she stated.
"We were put on planes as infants and young children. Please listen to our story and please follow through with the commitment that America made to every of the children that were brought here: US nationality."
