When:
9/9/2017 4:00PM-8:00PM
Where: 2 Locations!
1. H-Mart (Union St.) 29-02 Union St, Flushing, NY 11354
2. Hanyang Mart (Flushing) 150-51 Northern Blvd, Flushing, NY 11354
Let’s give citizenship to American Korean adoptees
Since 1940, American parents have adopted over 350,000 children abroad to the United States to promising better lives. At the time, applications of citizenship for these adoptees were responsibilities of their adoptive parents, but unfortunately many adoptive parents did not fulfill their duties.
Fortunately, the US Congress passed the Child Citizens Act of 2000, which allow adopted children of United States Citizens to acquire United States citizenship automatically. However, it does not retroactively grant adoptees born before 1982 citizenship, leaving thousands unprotected. The number of people excluded is estimated around 35,000. About 20,000 of them are Korean adoptees and live without U.S. citizenship.
Without citizenship, these adoptees are limited to work and travel, and more so are at risk of deportation for minor crimes. Their home is America. Many adoptees that have been deported to Korea face many hardships due to unknown language or culture. Some have unfortunately decided to end their troubled lives in suicide.
The World Hug Foundation is campaigning for the Adoptee Citizenship Act in the United State Congress in October 2017. The signature of each individual is expected to be hope for a hard life for 35,000 Korean and other ethnic adoptees.
