Sierra Henderson – Seville, Spain

Marriage For Hire

by Sierra Henderson

Sierra Henderson is a senior journalism major at Clark Atlanta University studying in Seville, Spain. She has previously served as editor for the CAU Panther and script writer for CAU-TV Newsbreak. She has published her own travel blog and is developing a work of fiction based on her experiences abroad. After pursuing a minor in Spanish, she will return to the US to graduate with her class. Originally from Washington State, she now lives in Decatur, Georgia.

sierracrop I never realized what a privilege it was to be an American until I received three marriage proposals in the same day. It’s usually the third or fourth sentence after “How are you?,” “You speak English?” and “I like you very much.” To most of the people I pass on the streets of Seville, I appear as just another slovenly-clad American student who wakes up in the morning and throws on whatever feels comfortable. However, to the gente del top manta, I am as good as gold.

Many of these street vendors are African or Latin-American immigrants who have sought asylum in Spain only to find out that the worsening economic situation is making discrimination more difficult to overcome. On the sidewalks and at intersections they showcase their wares of bootleg DVD’s and weave between cars selling packets of tissue. These industrialists provide a valuable service given that many of the public restrooms are without basic amenities. And it seems the Spanish have come to rely on their presence in many locations.

Kabba in Plaza España, Sevilla

Craving pieces of home on my meager budget, I am a loyal patron of the 3 for 5 DVD deal. Many of the films are American-made, new releases, in Spanish of course, but high-quality nonetheless. Sometimes you get ‘dabbed,’ but I doubt I was ever sold a bad recording intentionally. Yet through the rain or cold, whether on a Friday night or a Sunday afternoon, they are there faithfully, doing what they have to do to get by.

The desperation of the gente del top manta is apparent by their insistence. Regardless of their wives and children back home, they persist in their courtship and they are shrewd businessmen. When I tell them I am a lesbian, they assure me they can change my orientation. When I tell them I am faithful to my girlfriend, they insist that she won’t mind.

'Community Commuting' - public bicycles for hire

I’m sure they see it there on my sleeve… my bleeding heart. Occasionally, I’ll open the newspaper and read the graphic details of an African nation ripped apart by civil war. In the accompanying photograph, the blood of a slain youth has drained from his body and stained the ground. Other stories report the transfer of power from one corrupt leader to the next, with the lives of starving populations hanging in the balance. My heart grows heavy.

Just to know that my country is not rife with armed conflict (except in L.A.) and free from widespread government corruption (except in Chicago) is an advantage that I had previously taken for granted.

I will admit to entertaining the thought. The prospect of accepting a dowry to make a mockery of an institution that, in most states, precludes my participation has its allure. I would star in the lead role of the sequel, “How Stella Got Her Groom Back… to the United States.” However, among other concerns, I simply could not stomach the moral dilemma posed by the fact that many of my brothers stateside are competing for too few jobs as it is.

Parque Maria Luisa, Sevilla

As annoying and aggressive as these exchanges can sometimes be, I have come to appreciate the exchanges. After reading Audre Lorde’s “Zami” I had grand ideas of traveling to Mexico where she said she encountered a sea of brown faces smiling back at her. And however grateful I am to have had this opportunity to come to Spain, I was disappointed that this expectation wouldn’t ring true in a European country.

For now, however, I will treasure these daily propositions as a reminder of how fortunate I really am.