One adoptee was only twelve months when she was adopted by a American couple back in 1966.
Born in South Korea, her biological father served of the American military, who returned home soon after Shirley was born.
"He abandoned us, is the nicest way I can express it," states Shirley, currently in her sixties.
After around a year, Shirley was welcomed into the home of a US couple, who took her back to Texas.
An American Upbringing
Shirley grew up experiencing a lifestyle comparable with those of most 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 became a piano teacher.
Her life progressed for decades with little cause to question her American identity.
However in 2012, her world came crashing down.
Citizenship Crisis
She lost her government identification and required a new one.
But when she visited her local Social Security office, Shirley was informed she needed to prove her legal standing in the country.
"I experienced an emotional collapse upon discovering I wasn't a citizen," she explains.
Widespread Problem
This situation isn't unique. Approximations of how many American adoptees lack citizenship vary between 18,000 to 75,000.
Dozens adopted individuals have been removed to their countries of birth in the past decade, according to adoptee rights organizations.
Additional Account
Another woman, preferring to remain unnamed for fear of attracting the attention of authorities, was adopted by an American couple from Iran in 1973 when she was just a toddler.
"I settled into my existence, 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 approved by courts and government agencies did not assure US citizenship.
The Children's Citizenship Law of 2000 made some headway in rectifying this, providing immediate citizenship to children adopted from abroad.
Current Fears
Those fears for adopted individuals and their families have increased substantially following recent political changes.
Adoptee rights groups say they have been flooded with assistance inquiries and certain individuals have gone into hiding.
"When the election results were announced, it began increasing significantly with pleas for assistance," said a legal professional specializing in adoptee cases.
Stateless Feeling
"Ultimately, authorities aren't concerned about your personal history. 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 essentially just ruined my life," she said.
"As far as I'm concerned right now, I feel stateless."
Potential Solution
Despite adoptees being in legal uncertainty for decades, legal experts believe it is just a case of legislative action that should gain bipartisan support from all political parties.
"This ought to be a straightforward fix: children through adoption should be equal to 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 meet with national leaders for a discussion, so she and similar individuals could share their experiences.
"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. Just please hear our story and please follow through with the commitment that the United States gave each one of the babies that were brought here: US nationality."
