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For many immigrants (not all, because this is not a generalisable problem, but a specific one), conservatism is conviction. It is a safe rule book that has been instilled into them culturally, for many, dating back to the year in which they left their countries.

From a young age, I was taught that my passport was synonymous with my identity in the world. Alongside my name, handy phone numbers, and home addresses, I had branded this fact into my brain. Even in my sleep, I could recite my passport number and its expiry date in a heartbeat.

Why the Child is Cooking in the Polenta is originally an autobiographical novel by Aglaja Veteranyi, turned into a one-woman adaption by...