Shirley Chung was just a year old when she was taken in by a American couple during 1966.
Hailing from South Korea, 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," says Shirley, now 61.
After around a year, Shirley was adopted by a US couple, who took her back to the Lone Star State.
An American Upbringing
She was raised living a life comparable with that of many American youths.
"I lived and breathed and got in trouble like many American teenagers of the 80s. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley recalls.
Shirley had children, entered matrimony and worked as a music instructor.
Her life progressed for many years with no reason to question her US citizenship.
But then in 2012, her life was turned upside down.
Discovering Non-Citizen Status
She lost her Social Security card and required a new one.
But when she went to her government agency, Shirley was informed she needed to prove her legal standing in the country.
"I experienced an emotional collapse upon discovering I lacked citizenship," she says.
A Common Issue
This situation isn't unique. Approximations of how many American adoptees lack citizenship vary between thousands to tens of thousands.
Dozens adoptees have been deported to their nations of origin in the past decade, according to adoptee rights organizations.
Another Story
Another woman, preferring to remain unnamed for fear of attracting the attention of government officials, was taken in by an US pair from Iran in 1973 when she was just a toddler.
"I settled into my existence, consistently believing that I was a US national. That was what I learned. I continue to feel that today," she states.
Historical Context
For decades, international adoptions authorized through courts and government agencies did not assure US citizenship.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 made some headway in addressing this issue, providing immediate citizenship to children adopted from abroad.
Present Concerns
Those fears for adoptees and their relatives have risen even further since shifts in administration.
Adoptee rights groups say they have been overwhelmed by assistance inquiries and certain individuals have disappeared from public view.
"When the election results were announced, it started to really cascade with requests for help," said an attorney specializing in adoption law.
Stateless Feeling
"At the end of the day, they don't care 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 this one single piece of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she said.
"From my perspective currently, I feel stateless."
Potential Solution
Despite adoptees being in legal uncertainty for many years, attorneys believe it is just a case of political will that should gain bipartisan support from across the political spectrum.
"This ought to be a straightforward fix: children through adoption should be treated the same as their natural brothers and sisters of parents who were American nationals at the moment of their birth," commented an attorney.
Last Appeal
The adoptee hopes 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 said.
"We were placed on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Just please hear our story and please follow through with the promise that America made to every of the babies that were brought here: US nationality."
