🔗 Share this article

One adoptee was just a year old when she was adopted by a American couple during 1966.

Hailing from the Korean peninsula, her biological father was a member of the US armed forces, who went back soon after Shirley was born.

"He left us behind, is the nicest way I can put it," says Shirley, currently in her sixties.

Approximately one year later, 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 teenage Americans of the 80s. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley says.

Shirley had children, entered matrimony and worked as a piano teacher.

Her life progressed for many years with no reason to doubt her US citizenship.

However in 2012, her life was turned upside down.

Discovering Non-Citizen Status

She lost her Social Security card and needed a replacement.

However when she went to her government agency, Shirley was informed she needed to prove her legal standing in the country.

"I had a little mental breakdown upon discovering I wasn't a citizen," she says.

A Common Issue

This situation isn't unique. Estimates of how many American adoptees are without citizenship vary between thousands to tens of thousands.

Numerous adopted individuals have been deported to their countries of birth in recent years, as reported by adoptee rights organizations.

Additional Account

A different individual, preferring to remain unnamed for concern about drawing notice of authorities, was taken in by an US pair from the Middle East in 1973 when she was two years old.

"I adapted to my existence, consistently believing that I was a US national. That was what I learned. I still believe that today," she states.

Historical Context

Over many years, international adoptions approved by legal systems did not assure US citizenship.

The Children's Citizenship Law of 2000 made some headway in addressing this issue, providing immediate citizenship to international adoptees.

Current Fears

Those fears for adoptees and their relatives have risen even further since recent political changes.

Adoptee rights groups say they have been flooded with requests for help and some adoptees have disappeared from public view.

"When the election results came in, it began increasing significantly with requests for help," noted an attorney working with adoptee cases.

Stateless Feeling

"At the end of the day, authorities aren't concerned about your back story. They don't care that you're legally here and it's merely documentation issues," she said.

"I always tell people this one single piece of paper has essentially just ruined my life," she said.

"From my perspective currently, I feel stateless."

Possible Resolution

Although these individuals being left in limbo for decades, attorneys 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 treated the same as their biological siblings of parents who were US citizens 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 request to show understanding. We aren't undocumented immigrants," she said.

"We were put on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Just please hear our story and honor with the promise that America made to every of the children that were brought here: American citizenship."