By: Téa Tamburo
![[Description: Pale pink background with a black and photo photo of the presidential ballot’s candidate options. The “I Voted” sticker is in the top of the photo. A white box with a quotation mark has text that reads “With thousands of adoptees technically not being citizens of their home country, they’re denied all the rights that come with citizenship. As millions of Americans cast their votes in this election, we must remember the privilege of being able to do so.” This is attributed to Téa Tamburo. Small text below the photo says “Election Day. Nov. 5, 2024.“]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/73d316_0899b8c27ecd46d5b4550883c2f8573a~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_980,h_980,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/73d316_0899b8c27ecd46d5b4550883c2f8573a~mv2.png)
On Oct. 25, I placed my mail-in ballot in the box, casting my first-ever vote for a presidential candidate. As a first-time voter in the presidential election, I was extremely excited to exercise this right.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 election, American voter turnout has been increasing, and it was up from 59.2% in 2016 to 65.9% in 2020 (as a percentage of people eligible to vote). Americans want a say in our future on key issues like inflation, reproductive rights, healthcare, immigration and the economy. I voted for someone who aligns with my values on these key topics. I also recognize the privilege I have to be able to vote for a candidate in the country I’ve grown up in.
"I also recognize the privilege I have to be able to vote for a candidate in the country I’ve grown up in."
As a Chinese American adoptee, I have citizenship through The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (CCA), which grants children adopted by American citizens automatic US citizenship. Like many international adoptees in the US, I’m considered a “naturalized citizen” and receive all the benefits of citizenship. However, the CCA only applied to children who were 18 years old or younger when it took effect.
Before the CCA, adoption alone didn’t automatically make adoptees citizens, and there are estimated to be about 15,000-75,000 international adoptees who never received US citizenship. These adoptees likely entered the US on a tourist visa or medical visa, both of which have expiration dates. The majority of the adoptees affected are from South Korea — a country whose adoption industry emerged in the 1950s during the Korean War.
The Adoptee Rights Campaign (started by adoptees without citizenship), adoptees and their allies have been advocating for years to have Congress amend this with the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2021, which was ultimately not passed in December 2022. With thousands of adoptees technically not citizens of their home country, they’re denied all the rights that come with citizenship — including voting. As millions of Americans cast their votes in this election, we must remember the privilege of having the right to do so.
The above is not an endorsement for any candidate.
Sources:
“Issues and the 2024 election,” Pew Research Center, September 2024.
"Thousands of children adopted by Americans are without citizenship. Congress is unwilling to act,” Associated Press, October 2024.
“Obtaining U.S. Citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act,” US Department of State.
“Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections,” The American Presidency Project.