Shirley Chung was just a year old when she was taken in by a US family back in 1966.
Hailing from the Korean peninsula, her birth father served of the American military, who went back soon after Shirley was born.
"He abandoned us, is the kindest phrasing I can express it," says Shirley, currently in her sixties.
After around a year, Shirley was adopted by a US couple, who brought her to the Lone Star State.
Growing Up American
She was raised experiencing a lifestyle similar to that of many young Americans.
"I moved and breathed and got in trouble similar to other teenage Americans during the eighties. I belong of the 80s," Shirley says.
She became a mother, entered matrimony and became a piano teacher.
Life carried on for many years with no reason to question her US citizenship.
However in 2012, her world came crashing down.
Discovering Non-Citizen Status
She misplaced her Social Security card and needed a replacement.
However when she went to her local Social Security office, Shirley was informed she needed to prove her status in the country.
"I had a little mental breakdown upon discovering I wasn't a citizen," she says.
Widespread Problem
This situation isn't unique. Estimates of how many American adoptees lack citizenship vary between 18,000 to 75,000.
Dozens adoptees have been deported to their nations of origin in the past decade, according to adoptee rights organizations.
Another Story
Another woman, who requested anonymity for fear of attracting the attention of authorities, was adopted by an US pair from Iran in 1973 when she was two years old.
"I settled into my existence, consistently believing that I was an American citizen. That's what I was told. I still believe that today," she states.
Legal Background
Over many years, international adoptions approved by legal systems did not assure US citizenship.
The Children's Citizenship Law of 2000 created progress in rectifying this, granting automatic citizenship to children adopted from abroad.
Current Fears
Those fears for adoptees and their families have risen even further following shifts in administration.
Adoptee rights groups say they have been overwhelmed by assistance inquiries and some adoptees have gone into hiding.
"Following political outcomes came in, it began increasing significantly with pleas for assistance," noted a legal professional working with adoption law.
Stateless Feeling
"At the end of the day, they don't care 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 that one document of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she stated.
"From my perspective right now, I feel without a country."
Potential Solution
Despite adoptees being in legal uncertainty for decades, legal experts believe it is simply a matter of political will that should unite people from all political parties.
"It should be an uncomplicated solution: adopted children should be equal to their natural brothers and sisters of parents who were American nationals at the moment of their birth," commented an attorney.
Final Plea
The adoptee hopes she could get the US president for a discussion, so she and similar individuals could explain their stories.
"I would request to show understanding. We're not illegal aliens," she said.
"We were put on planes as infants and young children. Just please hear our story and please follow through with the promise that the United States gave each one of the babies that were brought here: US nationality."
