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Shirley Chung was only twelve months when she was taken in by a US family during 1966.

Hailing from the Korean peninsula, her biological father was a member of the American military, who returned home soon 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 adopted by a American pair, who took her back to the Lone Star State.

An American Upbringing

Shirley grew up experiencing a lifestyle comparable with that of many young Americans.

"I moved and breathed and found mischief like many American teenagers during the eighties. I belong of the 80s," Shirley recalls.

She became a mother, entered matrimony and worked as a music instructor.

Life carried on for decades with little cause to question her American identity.

However in 2012, her world came crashing down.

Citizenship Crisis

She lost her Social Security card and needed a replacement.

But when she visited her government agency, Shirley was informed she had to demonstrate her legal standing in the country.

"I had an emotional collapse upon discovering I wasn't a citizen," she explains.

A Common Issue

Shirley is not alone. Approximations of how many American adoptees are without citizenship range from thousands to tens of thousands.

Numerous adopted individuals have been removed to their countries of birth in recent years, according to adoptee rights organizations.

Additional Account

Another woman, who requested anonymity for fear of drawing notice of government officials, was taken in by an US pair from the Middle East in 1973 when she was just a toddler.

"I adapted to my life, always understanding that I was an American citizen. That's what I was told. I still believe that today," she says.

Legal Background

Over many years, intercountry adoptions authorized through legal systems did not assure US citizenship.

The Children's Citizenship Law of 2000 made some headway in rectifying this, granting automatic citizenship to international adoptees.

Present Concerns

Those fears for adopted individuals and their families have risen even further since recent political changes.

Adoptee rights groups say they have been overwhelmed by requests for help and certain individuals have gone into hiding.

"When the election results came in, it started to really cascade with pleas for assistance," said an attorney working with adoption law.

Stateless Feeling

"At the end of the day, authorities aren't concerned about your personal history. They're not interested that you're legally here and it's merely documentation issues," she expressed.

"I frequently explain that one document of paper has essentially just ruined my life," she stated.

"From my perspective right now, I feel stateless."

Potential Solution

Despite adoptees being in legal uncertainty for decades, attorneys believe it is simply a matter of legislative action that should gain bipartisan support from across the political spectrum.

"It should be an uncomplicated solution: adopted children should be treated the same as their natural brothers and sisters of parents who were American nationals at the moment of their birth," said a legal advocate.

Last Appeal

The adoptee hopes she could get the US president for a discussion, so she and others like her could share their experiences.

"I would request to please have some compassion. We aren't undocumented immigrants," she stated.

"We were placed on planes as infants and young children. Please listen to our story and honor with the promise that the United States gave each one of the babies that got on those planes: American citizenship."