For the very few Saudis visiting the United States, the event is a hectic one. There is the initial wait for the visa, the tedious check-in at the airport and then finally onto the actual plane. The long flight is filled with anxiety. The hours are spent worrying about what treatment to expect upon arrival. Will we be considered potential terrorists? Will immigration give us a hard time? Will we be discriminated against? Is it safe to wear hijab?
Then once you arrive, there is the exhausting wait at the INS office for males between the ages of 12 and 45. The searches are painstaking. Though all these measures are tiresome, they are undeniably crucial for the safety of all. After going through this ordeal, most of the discomforts are over.
Nevertheless the emotional worry continues. The expectations one used to have when coming to the United States have taken a lethal turn. There is a serious fear. And it starts from home, from the very beginning when people find out that you are traveling to America. The first thing they ask is “Why?” No Saudi can comprehend a visit to America at this stage. Just as no American would understand another American traveling to Saudi Arabia during these trying times.
Nevertheless, going against the well-intentioned advice of family and friends, we did not change our vacation route this year. This was to be our third visit to the US since that fateful Sept. 11. So with reassuring nods and smiles, we accepted people’s cautionary warnings and continued on with our plans.
After surviving arrival in the US, it must be acknowledged that the treatment at the airport was very respectful. The only area for improvement would be if Saudis were better informed about what is expected of them at US Immigration. Many were ignorant of the US immigration procedures and were unable to answer basic questions about where they were planning to stay or about the duration of their visit. Some women were detained till a female immigration officer came, because they refused to uncover their faces in order to check their identities. All in all, the immigration people were tolerant.
The biggest change a Saudi visitor will encounter in the US is the almost complete absence of other Saudis. Places where Saudis once flocked appear to be devoid of Arabs. You do not hear the language nor see the dress. Bumping into other Saudis at malls and tourist attractions is a thing of the past. Even shopkeepers admit that they haven’t had customers from Saudi Arabia in a long time.
Another change Saudis must face is the constant feeling of uneasiness. Saudis never used to worry about how others looked at them before. Now they must look over their shoulders. The average Saudi used to feel comfortable and at home while in the US. Now, when someone asks where you’re from, it is almost embarrassing to reply, “Saudi Arabia.”
The American media is to blame for this awkwardness. You cannot turn on the television without some mention of Saudi Arabia, whether it is on news or talk shows, late night or daytime. The media frenzy over Saudi Arabia has risen to unprecedented heights. Most of the coverage is perplexing. The sarcastic quips and jabs from the entertainment industry directed at Saudi Arabia are especially sad.
When Arabs enter a public place, eyebrows are raised and there is an undeniable tension in the air. Nevertheless the average American continues to be friendly and cordial. During our stay, no one treated us with any discrimination. In truth, the worst feeling is really not how people look at us, but rather how we now view ourselves.
As I boarded the plane for the US, I found myself wary of Arab men traveling alone. I stood close to my husband to show others that he was with his family for fear that someone might suspect him. What was once a happy alliance between two peoples is now a civil separation. Yet beneath the cordiality, warm embers continue burning, holding the potential to take them either way.
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(Hadeel Shaikh is a poet, freelance writer and an advocate of children’s rights. She is based in Jeddah.)