The Spanish Gaze, by Jesse Brewer

One of the many remnants of the Franco regime is a degree of homogeneity in terms of race in Spain. Many Sevillianos are ethnically from the Iberian Peninsula and have certain characteristics, and those who don’t fit that mold are few and far between. The overall direct culture of Spain combined with the homogeneity leads to foreigners generally being stared at—a phenomenon an article from the Berkley Center at Georgetown dubbed the “Spanish Gaze.” In stark contrast, I was raised on Saint Martin, an island that is home to just about every nationality there is, where staring at strangers is considered rude. As a 6’2 man with blonde hair and blue eyes, the biggest instance of culture shock I experienced was how much I stuck out here in public. Half the people I walk past on the street stare me down and when the night falls and the drinks start flowing, people will often stop me in the street to ask me where I’m from. Quite literally dozens of times, people have stopped me and asked if they could take a photo of me to show their friends. That being said, there seems to be a direct correlation between the frequency of this occurring and how drunk the crowd is. At the previa outside El Corte Ingles before the Sevilla vs Betis game, I was grabbed by the arm and pulled to a group to take a photo while I was in the middle of taking a photo with another group. Before arriving in Spain, no one had ever stopped me for a photo. I cannot imagine a Saint Martiner ever stopping a stranger on the street for a photo, no matter how strange they looked. I found this to be an interesting example of the Spanish culture of “directness” that exchange students often mention. I actually have one of these photos since the Spaniard got my Instagram and tagged me in his post, so I have attached it below.