The BIPOC Adoptee Citizenship & Legal Documents Fund

About the BIPOC Adoptee Citizenship & Legal Documents Fund

The BIPOC Adoptee Citizenship & Legal Documents Fun will support Transnational (Intercountry & International) Black Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) adoptees in Vermont to gain necessary legal documents to obtain citizenship in the U.S.A, provide proof of citizenship or further increase safety and belonging. Why is this needed? Aren’t all transnational or intercountry/international adoptees brought to the U.S.A. by American citizen parents automatically granted citizenship through their adoption process? The answer is surprisingly “No.”

Transnational adoptees are brought to this country often in early childhood typically by their adoptive parents with the aid of adoption agencies or lawyers. This process should allow for adopted children from other countries to become naturalized citizens of The United States of America. Unfortunately for a myriad of reasons not all adoptees are granted such status. Many adoptees and sometimes adoptive parents go years or decades without realizing that the adoptee's citizenship status is not finalized, leaving them in a state of limbo or vulnerability. Even in politically safer climates transnational adoptees who are raised in the U.S.A. are not prepared to have their safety or belonging in the country they reside in and have considered themselves citizens of, to be at risk from a legal standpoint. Nor are they prepared to potentially face deportation to countries they were not raised in or familiar with. There are adoptees of all ages in need of support to gain their citizenship which can be a lengthy and expensive process. Depending on each adoptee's individual circumstances and legal status that cost can range from a few hundred to a few thousand or more making it inaccessible to many.

On top of the costs of documents to gain citizenship there are additional costs for documents that help provide proof of citizenship. Given the current actions of ICE and CBP many transnational adoptees have been advised to carry passports, passport cards, and real IDs either on their body at all times or in a safe and secure location. Without such documents, transnational BIPOC adoptees face an increased risk of being detained and deported from the country they call home.

Based on personal experiences of various members of our immediate community and wider conversations happening amongst adoptee networks the risk to our safety is immediate and the need for support is growing larger by the day. Each day we receive news of immigrants being unlawfully detained and deported regardless of citizenship status. This issue is present in all of New England, and in the bodies and minds of BIPOC adoptees including the members of The BIPOC Adoptees Group at The Root. It is our goal that the BIPOC Adoptees Citizenship and Legal Document Fund will not only increase awareness of the experiences and needs of Transnational BIPOC Adoptees, it will add to our communities sense of safety with tangible legal documents and clear community support.

Donations of any size can be made online here by selecting the drop down menu item and clicking “BIPOC Adoptee Mutual Aid”

Checks can be made to:
The Root SJC
Memo note: BIPOC Adoptee Fund
Mailed to: The Root SJC, 28 Williams St, Brattleboro VT 05301

Applications to receive funds will open Fall 2025

By donating or sharing this fund with others you will demonstrate to BIPOC Adoptees that we do belong and that you value our safety as much as your own. Consider donating today to help make a positive impact for the BIPOC Adoptee community in this vital time!

Sincerely,