Shirley Chung was only twelve months when she was taken in by a American couple during 1966.
Hailing from the Korean peninsula, her birth father was a member of the American military, who returned home shortly after Shirley was born.
"He abandoned us, is the kindest phrasing I can put it," states Shirley, currently in her sixties.
Approximately one year later, Shirley was adopted by a US couple, who brought her to the Lone Star State.
An American Upbringing
Shirley grew up experiencing a lifestyle comparable with those of most young Americans.
"I lived and breathed and got in trouble like many American teenagers of the 80s. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley says.
Shirley had children, got married and became a music instructor.
Life carried on for many years with little cause to question her US citizenship.
But then in 2012, her world came crashing down.
Discovering Non-Citizen Status
She misplaced her government identification and needed a replacement.
However when she visited her government agency, Shirley was informed she had to demonstrate her status in the country.
"I experienced a little mental breakdown upon discovering I lacked citizenship," she says.
Widespread Problem
This situation isn't unique. Approximations of how many American adoptees lack citizenship range from thousands to tens of thousands.
Numerous adoptees have been deported to their nations of origin in recent years, as reported by advocacy groups.
Another Story
A different individual, who requested anonymity for fear of drawing notice of government officials, was adopted by an American couple from Iran in 1973 when she was two years old.
"I adapted to my life, always understanding that I was an American citizen. That's what I was told. I still believe that today," she says.
Legal Background
Over many years, international adoptions authorized through courts and government agencies did not assure US citizenship.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 created progress in rectifying this, granting automatic 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 flooded with requests for help and certain individuals have disappeared from public view.
"When the election results came in, it began increasing significantly with requests for help," said an attorney working with adoptee cases.
Lacking National Identity
"Ultimately, 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 always tell people that one document of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she said.
"As far as I'm concerned currently, I feel stateless."
Potential Solution
Although these individuals being in legal uncertainty for many years, attorneys believe it is just a case of legislative action that should gain bipartisan support from across the political spectrum.
"It should be an uncomplicated solution: children through adoption should be equal to their biological siblings of parents who were American nationals at the time of birth," commented a legal advocate.
Final Plea
The adoptee hopes she could get the US president into a room, so she and others like her could explain their stories.
"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 promise that the United States gave each one of the babies that got on those planes: American citizenship."
