One adoptee was just a year old when she was taken in by a US family during 1966.
Born in the Korean peninsula, her birth father was a member of the US armed forces, who returned home shortly after Shirley was born.
"He abandoned us, is the nicest way I can express it," says Shirley, currently in her sixties.
Approximately one year later, Shirley was welcomed into the home of a US couple, who took her back to Texas.
An American Upbringing
She was raised living a life comparable with those of most American youths.
"I lived and breathed and found mischief similar to other American teenagers of the 80s. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley recalls.
Shirley had children, got married and became a music instructor.
Life carried on for many years with no reason to doubt her American identity.
But then in 2012, her world came crashing down.
Discovering Non-Citizen Status
She misplaced her Social Security card 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 had an emotional collapse upon discovering I wasn't a citizen," she says.
A Common Issue
Shirley is not alone. Estimates of how many US adopted individuals are without citizenship range from thousands to tens of thousands.
Numerous adoptees have been deported to their nations of origin in recent years, according to adoptee rights organizations.
Additional Account
Another woman, preferring to remain unnamed for concern about drawing notice of government officials, 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.
Historical Context
For decades, international adoptions approved by courts and government agencies did not automatically guarantee US citizenship.
The Children's Citizenship Law of 2000 made some headway in addressing this issue, granting automatic citizenship to children adopted from abroad.
Present Concerns
Those fears for adopted individuals and their relatives have risen even further following shifts in administration.
Adoptee rights groups say they have been flooded with requests for help and some adoptees have disappeared from public view.
"When the election results came in, it began increasing significantly with pleas for assistance," noted an attorney specializing in adoptee cases.
Stateless Feeling
"Ultimately, they don't care about your back story. They don't care that your presence is lawful and it's just a paperwork error," she said.
"I frequently explain this one single piece of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she stated.
"As far as I'm concerned right now, I feel without a country."
Potential Solution
Although these individuals being in legal uncertainty for many years, attorneys believe it is just a case of legislative action that should unite people from all political parties.
"It should be a straightforward fix: children through adoption should be equal to their natural brothers and sisters of parents who were American nationals at the time of birth," commented an attorney.
Last Appeal
Shirley wishes she could meet with national leaders for a discussion, so she and others like her could share their experiences.
"I would ask him to please have some compassion. We aren't undocumented immigrants," she said.
"We were put on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Just please hear our accounts and please follow through with the commitment that America gave each one of the children that got on those planes: American citizenship."
