Shirley Chung was only twelve months when she was adopted by a US family during 1966.
Born in the Korean peninsula, her biological father served of the US armed forces, 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.
After around a year, Shirley was adopted by a American pair, who took her back to Texas.
Growing Up American
She was raised living a life similar to those of most young Americans.
"I moved and breathed and found mischief similar to other teenage Americans during the eighties. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley recalls.
She became a mother, got married and became a music instructor.
Her life progressed for many years with no reason to doubt her American identity.
However in 2012, her life was turned upside 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 status in the country.
"I had an emotional collapse after finding out I lacked citizenship," she explains.
A Common Issue
Shirley is not alone. Approximations of how many American adoptees are without citizenship range from thousands to tens of thousands.
Numerous adopted individuals have been removed to their nations of origin in the past decade, according to advocacy groups.
Another Story
A different individual, preferring to remain unnamed for fear of attracting the attention of authorities, was taken in by an American couple from the Middle East in 1973 when she was just a toddler.
"I adapted to my existence, consistently believing that I was an American citizen. That was what I learned. I continue to feel that today," she states.
Legal Background
Over many years, international adoptions authorized through legal systems did not automatically guarantee US citizenship.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 created progress in rectifying this, providing immediate citizenship to international adoptees.
Present Concerns
These concerns for adopted individuals and their relatives have increased substantially following shifts in administration.
Adoptee rights groups say they have been overwhelmed by requests for help and some adoptees have gone into hiding.
"When the election results were announced, it began increasing significantly with requests for help," noted a legal professional working with adoption law.
Stateless Feeling
"At the end of the day, authorities aren't concerned about your personal history. They're not interested that your presence is lawful and it's merely documentation issues," she expressed.
"I always tell people that one document of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she said.
"As far as I'm concerned right now, I feel without a country."
Potential Solution
Although these individuals being in legal uncertainty for decades, attorneys believe it is just a case of political will that should gain bipartisan support from across the political spectrum.
"It should be a straightforward fix: children through adoption should be equal to their natural brothers and sisters of guardians who were American nationals at the time of birth," said an attorney.
Last Appeal
Shirley wishes she could get the US president into a room, so she and others like her could explain their stories.
"I would request to please have some compassion. We're not illegal aliens," she said.
"We were placed on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Please listen to our accounts and honor with the commitment that America gave each one of the children that were brought here: American citizenship."
