South Koreans' U.S. Adoption Nightmare: Decades in a Country They Can't Call Home

CNN-

Adam Crapser has become a cause celebre for what critics say is a flawed U.S. law that unfairly leaves tens of thousands of international adoptees in limbo, without citizenship.

Eight years after being deported from the United States, Crapser, who lived for decades, found himself in a Seoul courtroom on Wednesday, seeking redress for what he called a flawed adoption process who ruined his life.

As a bill in Congress that could bring the 49-year-old back to the United States waits in committee, the Crapser case highlights a flaw in the international adoption system that has torn some families apart.

And my children? Don't they deserve a home? Crapser told CNN on Friday, referring to the two children he was forced to leave behind, including his 10-year-old daughter.

I wanted to be with her. I wanted to raise him. I wanted to be in his life. I wanted to be his father. I wanted to do everything I could to give him a life that I didn't have, Crapser said. I want her to definitely know that ever since all of this started before she was born, I've been struggling with this.

Crapser was adopted by a Michigan family in 1979 and lived in the United States for 37 years. However, his American family and guardians failed to obtain the necessary documents for his citizenship and he was deported after a lengthy legal battle in 2016.

I'm stuck. I've been in between like that for a while, Crapser said of his desire to return to his family and the uncertainty of his future.

Crapser made history as the first Korean adoptee to sue the South Korean government and its adoption agency for damages in 2019.

As he awaits a court decision in Seoul, a bill that could grant him American citizenship remains blocked in Congress.

The proposed bill, the Adopted Children's Citizenship Act of 2024, aims to automatically grant citizenship to international adoptees and close the loophole in the Children's Citizenship Act of 2000, which excluded those who were 18 or no longer at the time the law was promulgated.

Crapser, who was 25 when the law was passed, did not obtain U.S. citizenship.

Crapser remains skeptical that the new bill will pass, pointing out that it likely won't happen in our lifetime, due to the lack of progress since discussions on the recently introduced legislation began in 2017.

A spokesperson for Democratic Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, one of the legislation's co-sponsors, said: “While we are unlikely to see further movement in the remainder of the 118th Congress, which will end in January 2025, given the election and the lame duck. As we have been waiting, we hope that this much-needed bill will advance in future Congresses to become law.

The bill was referred to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees for consideration.

Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, another co-sponsor and father of two adopted children, said in a statement to CNN: “There are people who have always considered themselves citizens and who should be. But due to a quirk in current law, some international adoptees are not citizens. Congress must remedy the situation.

After being abandoned by his first adoptive parents in the 1980s, Crapser moved between foster homes and care facilities, according to a 2023 lawsuit in the Seoul Central District Court.

In 1989, he was adopted by another couple, who were prosecuted in 1991 for physical abuse and assault against foster and adopted children and convicted in 1992.

Around 2012, when Crapser applied to renew his expired permanent residency, commonly known as a green card, his criminal record, including burglary and assault charges, attracted the attention of U.S. immigration officials, according to the lawsuit .

It has often been said that I made a lot of mistakes and had a lot of problems in the United States, and I admit that, Crapser said during his testimony Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. in the United States, with no family and no Koreans around me.

The criminal record was considered a violation of his green card status, and in 2016 he lost his fight against deportation to South Korea, where he was born but knew neither the language nor the customs.

It's a bad dream. Other people who come to Korea on their own have planned it to some extent. You can't do any of that when you go to an immigration prison, he told CNN, expressing the systematic lack of support he needed to prepare for his forced return.

A lawyer for Crapser previously told CNN that his criminal history did not reflect the full reality of his experiences, which included physical abuse and abandonment at the hands of his first adoptive parents, only to face further abuse during of his subsequent adoption, highlighting the vulnerabilities of many adoptees.

Growing up without contact with Koreans, he says he struggles with a feeling of disconnection from the place he's supposed to call home.

I have no choice, Crapser said. All I know is American culture. I didn't know anything about Korean customs, cultures, rules, history or anything because it was intentionally hidden from me.

On Wednesday, Crapser denounced both his South Korean adoption agency and the government during his appeals court hearing in Seoul, he told CNN.

Despite being barred from returning to the United States for 10 years, he said he followed legal avenues to stay with his children. He hasn't seen his 10-year-old daughter since 2017.

I literally tried every legal avenue to try to get back to the United States early so I could be in my child's life, and it was unsuccessful, he said.

Crapser can request waivers in two years, he said, but he remains uncertain how long that legislative process will take. Attempting to return to the United States beforehand could result in a lifetime ban.

“I want to make sure that there is a historical record, not only for my children, but also for the history of adoption, that shows that this has to do with other countries where they have not been successful to ensure that children are naturalized in receiving countries,” he added.

CNN reached out to the adoption agency, Holt Childrens Services, for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

In response to recent media reports about adoptions from South Korea in the 1980s, Holt International acknowledged the potentially unethical practices in a public statement and noted that Holt Childrens Services had separated from Holt International in 1977 .

These reports highlight serious concerns, and we do not take these concerns lightly or dismiss the fact that mistakes were likely made, Holt said in the statement.

Last year, a lower Korean court ruled that Holt must pay Crapser 100 million won ($72,300) in damages for failing to inform his American adoptive parents of the steps required to obtain his citizenship after completion of its adoption in a U.S. state court, according to the lawsuit.

However, the Seoul Central District Court rejected Crapser's additional claims against Holt and cleared the government of liability. Both Crapser and Holt appealed, with Holt saying he had no legal obligation to ensure Crapser obtained his citizenship, the AP reported.

A government lawyer said officials at the time had no legal obligation to confirm adoptees' citizenship status and found no clear reason to question the accuracy of Crapser's documents, according to the 'AP.

The Seoul High Court is expected to issue its decision on January 8 on Crapsers' damages claim.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos