Please see Adoptees for Justice’s message about their upcoming Twitter Storm for the Adoptee Citizenship Act and learn how you can support this cause!
THE PROBLEM
Due to a lack of comprehensive international adoption legislation, there are an unknown number of international adoptees living without citizenship. To date, Adoptees for Justice knows of at least 50 adoptee deportation cases spanning 28 countries since 1999. These adoptees have not only been ripped away from their family and friends, but have also been forced to live in countries where they do not know the language and culture. Adoptees without citizenship fear separation from their families and the only home they have ever known. To read some of these powerful stories, visit our adoptees without citizenship story collection.
Without government tracking, it is difficult to estimate the exact number of adoptees affected by lack of citizenship. However, according to the South Korean Government, there are an estimated 20,000 Korean American adoptees alone whose U.S citizenship has not been confirmed.
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (CCA) aimed to provide equal treatment under U.S. law for adopted and biological children of U.S. citizens by granting automatic citizenship to international adoptees. Although the CCA recognized the adoptee citizenship crisis, it only made citizenship automatic upon adoption for those born after 1983, leaving out those who had been adopted decades prior since 1945.
THE SOLUTION
The Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2019 (H.R.2731) closes the loophole in the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (CCA). If passed, the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2019 would provide automatic citizenship to international adoptees regardless of birthdate, covering those who were left out of the CCA. It would allow deported adoptees the opportunity to return home, reunite with their families, and rebuild their lives.
The Adoptee Citizenship Act has strong bipartisan support and is currently cosponsored by 30 Democrats and 31 Republicans in the House of Representatives. There is also an identical bill, S. 1554, in the Senate.
With 3 months left before the Adoptee Citizenship Act expires in December, we need to act NOW to move H.R. 2731 out of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration. We’re asking GROUP to join the Twitter Storm for the Adoptee Citizenship Act to pressure the Subcommittee members to move the bill forward.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Share and/or participate in the Twitter Storm for Adoptee Citizenship. We will be announcing the Twitter Storm from Adoptees for Justice social media channels on Thursday, September 3rd at 3:00 pm EST.
Any help sharing our announcement of the Twitter Storm across social media channels would be greatly appreciated. Please see the Twitterstorm Announcement Sharing Guide for more information including our announcement graphic, caption, alt text for accessibility and links to our social media accounts. Note: the page linked in the bottom of the graphic will not be publicly viewable until 9/3/2020 at 3:00 pm EST.
We will also be hosting an open meeting on A4J’s Twitter Storm on September 2nd, 8-9 pm EST for anyone interested in learning more about the Twitter Storm and how to participate. Add the link to your Google Calendar here.
Sign up as an organization or individual HERE – https://adopteesforjustice.
Thank you for your time and consideration. With your help, we can pass this important piece of legislation, bring our deported adoptees home and make citizenship for ALL adoptees a reality!
– Adoptees for Justice
ABOUT Adoptees for Justice
Adoptees For Justice (A4J) is an intercountry adoptee-led organization working to educate, empower, and organize transnational and transracial adoptee communities.
