Shirley Chung was only twelve months when she was adopted by a US family back in 1966.
Born in South Korea, her biological father was a member of the US armed forces, who returned home soon after Shirley was born.
"He abandoned us, is the nicest way 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 Texas.
Growing Up American
She was raised living a life 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 recalls.
Shirley had children, got married and worked as a music instructor.
Life carried on for many years with no reason to question her American identity.
However in 2012, her life was turned upside down.
Discovering Non-Citizen Status
She misplaced her government identification and required a new one.
But when she visited her government agency, Shirley was told she needed to prove her legal standing in the country.
"I had a little mental breakdown upon discovering I wasn't a citizen," she explains.
A Common Issue
Shirley is not alone. Approximations of how many American adoptees lack citizenship vary between thousands to tens of thousands.
Dozens adopted individuals have been deported to their countries of birth in the past decade, as reported by advocacy groups.
Another Story
A different individual, who requested anonymity for fear of attracting the attention of government officials, was adopted by an American couple from the Middle East in 1973 when she was just a toddler.
"I settled into my life, always understanding that I was a US national. That's what I was told. I still believe that today," she states.
Legal Background
For decades, intercountry adoptions authorized through courts and government agencies did not assure US citizenship.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 made some headway in rectifying this, granting automatic citizenship to children adopted from abroad.
Current Fears
These concerns for adoptees and their relatives have risen even further since recent political changes.
Adoptee rights groups say they have been overwhelmed by requests for help and some adoptees have gone into hiding.
"When the election results came in, it began increasing significantly with pleas for assistance," said an attorney specializing in adoptee cases.
Stateless Feeling
"Ultimately, authorities aren't concerned about your back story. They're not interested that you're legally here and it's just a paperwork error," she said.
"I always tell people this one single piece of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she stated.
"As far as I'm concerned right now, I feel without a country."
Potential Solution
Although these individuals being left in limbo for decades, attorneys believe it is simply a matter of political will that should unite people from all political parties.
"It should be an uncomplicated solution: children through adoption should be treated the same as 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 aren't undocumented immigrants," she said.
"We were put on planes as infants and young children. Just please hear our story and honor with the commitment that America gave each one of the children that got on those planes: American citizenship."
