“We can’t all be delusional,” she says.

cutting gazes.

hink salad bowl, rather than melting pot

It should be clear by now that assimilation is primarily about power.

Debates about assimilation are different from debates about undocumented immigration,

One reason

One of this country’s most cherished myths is the idea that, no matter where you come from, if you work hard, you can be successful. But these ideals have always been combined with a deep suspicion of newcomers.

Whichever

a process metaphorically described as a melting pot.

For some, assimilation is based on pragmatic considerations, like achieving some fluency in the dominant language, some educational or economic success, some familiarity with the country’s history and culture

What

Dr. Pauker’s studies have important caveats.

That’s surely no consolation to the victims of racism,

Plenty of research

developed a distinctive narrative arc.

Her first and last names, the most salient parts, look and sound as white as her features.

‘‘The

The idea of race as an essential aspect of one’s personhood didn’t always dominate, even in the West.

One day, I sat down under an enormous tree on the University of Hawaii at Manoa

I’m interested in all of this

She found

heseperennialdebatesoverauthenticity

Workingmothers,becausetheyhavefamiliestosupport,havemoretoloseandmaybelesswillingtojeopardizetheircurrentjobsorprofessionalstatusbyspeakingout.Mothersarestillregularlyjudgednegativelybyouremployersandsocietyforchargingaheadprofessionallyafterwehavechildren.Itdoesn’ttakemuchtointernalizethatsexismtoconvinceourselvesthatourkidsarebetteroffwithamotherwhodoesn’thaveademandingjob,whichcanleadustobeingmoreresignedthanfieryaboutbeingpassedoverforapromotionornotcalledbackforajobinterview.Ormaybeworkingmothersarejustplaintired.Butit’salsonoteworthytomethatwe’veneverhadahigh-pr

“Shewaswaytoofocusedonherpregnancy.Itwasdistractingher.Ididn’tthinkshewasgoingtobecommittedenoughtothejob,soIhadtolethergo.”Ilookedather,stunned.Thiswoman—amotherherself—whoworkedonarangeoninitiativestosupportwomenwasopenlyandcasuallyadmittingtoillegaldiscrimination,againstanothermother.

For yet others, the whole idea of assimilation is wrongheaded, and integration — a dynamic process that retains the connotation of individuality — is seen as the better model. Think salad bowl, rather than melting pot: Each ingredient keeps its flavor, even as it mixes with others.

For others, it runs deeper and involves relinquishing all ties, even linguistic ones, to the old country.

The word has its roots in the Latin ‘‘simulare,’’ meaning to make similar.

Thelongdevelopmentalprocessoflearningtoreaddeeplyandwellchangedtheverystructureofthatcircuit’sconnections,whichrewiredthebrain,whichtransformedthenatureofhumanthough