I think this is really interesting: a lack of pressure to assimilate or conform because you never could belong anyway. Do you think this affects your ability to move forward in the company, if that's something you want?
Even though you don't feel you fit in in the US, do you ever feel relief at just not getting attention for being different?
I only care about my research and not climbing the ladder. My hope is that my research will be great enough that I won't have to conform to climb the ladder, but that is a gamble.
> Even though you don't feel you fit in in the US, do you ever feel relief at just not getting attention for being different?
I've never really had that feeling before; I never get into the situation where I feel like I'm with "my own people."
I don't necessarily feel I'm with my "own people" when I go to France or Spain, but the relief I felt on leaving Egypt was palpable. I was either an oddity or a target everywhere I traveled in Egypt (not a target for harassment, really, but a walking wallet). I've had experiences with Vietnamese kids exclaiming at how comically pale I am. Can't go grocery shopping without getting noticed. No one notices me in Europe.
Good luck with the research gamble from someone like-minded.
Even though you don't feel you fit in in the US, do you ever feel relief at just not getting attention for being different?