“In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage - to know who we are and where we have come from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness.” ― Alex Haley
State laws should be amended to allow unrestricted access for adult adoptees to their original birth certificates, as well as court and agency adoption files. This is a civil rights issue that cuts across all lines of age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status. Adoptees should have the same right to their personal history, heritage, and medical information as non-adopted people.