One adoptee was only twelve months when she was adopted by a US family back in 1966.
Born in the Korean peninsula, her birth father was a member of the American military, who went back shortly after Shirley was born.
"He abandoned us, is the kindest phrasing I can express it," says Shirley, currently in her sixties.
Approximately one year later, Shirley was welcomed into the home of a American pair, who brought her to the Lone Star State.
Growing Up American
She was raised living a life comparable with those of most young Americans.
"I moved and breathed and got in trouble like many American teenagers during the eighties. I belong of the 80s," Shirley recalls.
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.
Discovering Non-Citizen Status
She lost her government identification 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 an emotional collapse after finding out I lacked citizenship," she says.
Widespread Problem
Shirley is not alone. Estimates of how many American adoptees are without citizenship vary between thousands to tens of thousands.
Dozens adopted individuals have been removed to their nations of origin in the past decade, as reported by adoptee rights organizations.
Additional Account
A different individual, preferring to remain unnamed for fear of drawing notice of authorities, was taken in by an US pair from Iran in 1973 when she was just a toddler.
"I settled into my existence, consistently believing that I was a US national. That was what I learned. I continue to feel that today," she states.
Historical Context
Over many years, intercountry adoptions authorized through courts and government agencies did not assure US citizenship.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 created progress in addressing this issue, providing immediate citizenship to international adoptees.
Present Concerns
These concerns for adoptees and their families have risen even further following shifts in administration.
Advocacy organizations say they have been overwhelmed by requests for help and some adoptees have disappeared from public view.
"Following political outcomes came in, it started to really cascade with requests for help," noted an attorney working with adoptee cases.
Stateless Feeling
"Ultimately, they don't care 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.
"From my perspective right now, I feel stateless."
Potential Solution
Although these individuals being in legal uncertainty for many years, legal experts 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 biological siblings of guardians who were American nationals at the moment of their birth," said an attorney.
Final Plea
Shirley wishes she could meet with national leaders into a room, so she and similar individuals could explain their stories.
"I would request to please have some compassion. We're not illegal aliens," she stated.
"We were put on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Please listen to our story and honor with the promise that the United States gave each one of the children that got on those planes: American citizenship."
