Staring in Spain by Khadija Khan

Seville is a city that I have come to love because of its rich history, beautiful architecture and lively culture. When I first came to Seville, I had to get used to a number of things, for example, the intense summer heat, a new language and different food and mealtimes. However, something that I still have a hard time adjusting to is how undiverse Seville is, coupled with the culture of staring here in Spain.

During orientation, we learned that people here like to stare because they are curious and it is something cultural. As a South Asian woman, I stand out a lot in Seville. As a result, I feel like I am also stared at a lot. During my four months here, I've observed that when spaniards stare, they are not subtle about it. Additionally, they don't like to look away when you catch them staring, which is also new to me because I am used to people looking away when you catch them staring. Sometimes, people keep staring for minutes, or turn their heads to continue staring, even when they are on vehicles.

Moreover, it is not normal here to pass a smile to a random stranger when you make eye contact, something that is very common in the United States. When people do stare at me, I always feel a little awkward and uncomfortable. When people do stare, I try to feel a little less uncomfortable by passing a smile, but I end up feeling more uncomfortable because I don't usually get a smile back.

I grew up in Pakistan where majority of the people belong to the same ethnic group. I never stood out there and have not experienced such intense staring. Three years ago, I moved to the United states for college; while Washington DC is not that diverse either, it is not normal to stare at people.

So coming to Seville was the first time I experienced such intense staring. I do believe that it is a mixture of curiosity and just a part of the culture here, but for some reason I still have not gotten used to it.