I don't mean to discount or take away from the difficulties that the author is addressing but as a migrant I can't help but to laugh a bit at some of the complaints I hear here and there about 'sticking out' and 'isolation'.

You stick out at work? I stick out everywhere I go.

If you feel out of place and isolated try moving to a completely different country on your own and try living there for a few years. That's when you realise how much you belonged and you didn't even realise.