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Shirley Chung was just a year old when she was taken in by a American couple during 1966.

Hailing from the Korean peninsula, her birth father served of the American military, who went back soon after Shirley was born.

"He abandoned us, is the kindest phrasing I can express it," states Shirley, currently in her sixties.

Approximately one year later, Shirley was welcomed into the home of a American pair, who took her back to Texas.

Growing Up American

Shirley grew up living a life comparable with those of most young Americans.

"I lived and breathed and got in trouble like many American teenagers during the eighties. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley recalls.

Shirley had children, entered matrimony and became a piano teacher.

Her life progressed for many years with little cause to question her US citizenship.

But then in 2012, her world came crashing down.

Discovering Non-Citizen Status

She misplaced her government identification and needed a replacement.

But when she visited her local Social Security office, Shirley was told she needed to prove her status in the country.

"I had a little mental breakdown after finding out I wasn't a citizen," she says.

A Common Issue

This situation isn't unique. Estimates of how many American adoptees are without citizenship vary between 18,000 to 75,000.

Dozens adoptees have been removed to their nations of origin in recent years, according to adoptee rights organizations.

Additional Account

Another woman, 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 two years old.

"I settled into my life, always understanding that I was an American citizen. That was what I learned. 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

These concerns for adopted individuals and their relatives have risen even further since shifts in administration.

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

"When the election results were announced, it started to really cascade with pleas for assistance," noted a legal professional 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 merely documentation issues," she expressed.

"I always tell people this one single piece of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she stated.

"As far as I'm concerned currently, I feel without a country."

Potential Solution

Despite adoptees being in legal uncertainty for many years, attorneys believe it is just a case of legislative action that should unite people from across the political spectrum.

"It should be an uncomplicated solution: adopted children should be treated the same as their biological siblings of parents who were US citizens at the time of birth," said a legal advocate.

Final Plea

The adoptee hopes she could meet with national leaders for a discussion, so she and similar individuals could explain their stories.

"I would ask him to show understanding. We aren't undocumented immigrants," she stated.

"We were placed on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Please listen to our story and please follow through with the promise that the United States made to every of the babies that were brought here: American citizenship."