Shirley Chung was only twelve months when she was adopted by a American couple during 1966.
Hailing from South Korea, her birth father served of the US armed forces, who went back shortly after Shirley was born.
"He left us behind, is the nicest way I can put it," says Shirley, now 61.
Approximately one year later, Shirley was adopted by a US couple, who brought her to Texas.
An American Upbringing
She was raised experiencing a lifestyle comparable with those of most young Americans.
"I lived and breathed and found mischief similar to other teenage Americans during the eighties. I belong of the 80s," Shirley says.
Shirley had children, entered matrimony and became a music instructor.
Life carried on for decades with no reason to doubt her US citizenship.
But then in 2012, her world came crashing down.
Discovering Non-Citizen Status
She lost her Social Security card and needed a replacement.
But when she went to her local Social Security office, Shirley was told she needed to prove her status in the country.
"I experienced an emotional collapse upon discovering I lacked citizenship," she explains.
A Common Issue
Shirley is not alone. Estimates of how many US adopted individuals are without citizenship vary between 18,000 to 75,000.
Dozens adoptees have been removed to their nations of origin in the past decade, according to adoptee rights organizations.
Another Story
A different individual, preferring to remain unnamed for fear of drawing notice of government officials, was taken in by an US pair from Iran in 1973 when she was just a toddler.
"I adapted to my life, always understanding that I was a US national. That's what I was told. I continue to feel that today," she says.
Legal Background
For decades, intercountry adoptions approved by legal systems did not assure US citizenship.
The Children's Citizenship Law of 2000 made some headway in addressing this issue, granting automatic citizenship to children adopted from abroad.
Current Fears
Those fears for adoptees and their relatives have increased substantially since recent political changes.
Adoptee rights groups say they have been overwhelmed by assistance inquiries and certain individuals have gone into hiding.
"When the election results came in, it began increasing significantly with requests for help," said an attorney specializing in adoptee cases.
Lacking National Identity
"At the end of the day, authorities aren't concerned about your back story. They're not interested that you're legally here and it's merely documentation issues," she said.
"I always tell people that one document of paper has essentially just ruined my life," she said.
"As far as I'm concerned right now, I feel without a country."
Potential Solution
Despite adoptees being left in limbo for decades, attorneys believe it is simply a matter 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 biological siblings of parents who were US citizens at the moment of their birth," said a legal advocate.
Final Plea
The adoptee hopes she could get the US president for a discussion, 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 story and honor with the commitment that America made to every of the babies that got on those planes: American citizenship."
