One adoptee was just a year old when she was taken in by a US family during 1966.
Hailing from South Korea, her biological father was a member of the American military, who returned home shortly after Shirley was born.
"He left us behind, is the nicest way I can put it," says Shirley, currently in her sixties.
After around a year, Shirley was welcomed into the home of a American pair, who took her back to the Lone Star State.
An American Upbringing
Shirley grew up experiencing a lifestyle comparable with those of most American youths.
"I moved and breathed and found mischief like many American teenagers of the 80s. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley recalls.
Shirley had children, got married and worked as a music instructor.
Life carried on for decades with no reason to question her American identity.
But then in 2012, her life was turned upside down.
Citizenship Crisis
She lost her government identification and required a new one.
However when she visited her local Social Security office, Shirley was told she needed to prove her legal standing in the country.
"I experienced a little mental breakdown upon discovering I lacked citizenship," she explains.
Widespread Problem
Shirley is not alone. Approximations of how many American adoptees are without citizenship vary between thousands to tens of thousands.
Dozens adopted individuals have been removed to their countries of birth in recent years, as reported by adoptee rights organizations.
Additional Account
A different individual, who requested anonymity for concern about attracting the attention of government officials, was adopted by an US pair from Iran in 1973 when she was just a toddler.
"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 authorized through courts and government agencies did not assure US citizenship.
The Children's Citizenship Law of 2000 made some headway in addressing this issue, providing immediate citizenship to children adopted from abroad.
Present Concerns
Those fears for adoptees and their families have increased substantially since recent political changes.
Adoptee rights groups say they have been overwhelmed by requests for help and certain individuals have gone into hiding.
"Following political outcomes came in, it started to really cascade with requests for help," said a legal professional working with adoptee cases.
Stateless Feeling
"Ultimately, they don't care about your back story. They don't care 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 said.
"As far as I'm concerned right now, I feel stateless."
Possible Resolution
Despite adoptees being in legal uncertainty for decades, legal experts believe it is simply a matter of political will that should gain bipartisan support from all political parties.
"This ought to be a straightforward fix: children through adoption should be treated the same as their biological siblings of guardians who were US citizens at the time of birth," commented an attorney.
Last Appeal
Shirley wishes she could get the US president into a room, so she and others like her could share their experiences.
"I would request to please have some compassion. We're not illegal aliens," she stated.
"We were put on planes as infants and young children. Just please hear our story and please follow through with the commitment that the United States gave each one of the children that were brought here: American citizenship."
