So here's the thing, I come from a little country in Central America called Honduras. Besides being Latina, I also come from a long line of Palestinian immigrants; which makes most of my physical features as well as my last names Middle Eastern. These two facts make my life incredibly complicated when it comes to being at airports. Thanks to racial profiling, I always end up getting either "randomly searched" or interrogated at TSA and customs.
Each and every time that I pass through TSA and customs, I get pulled aside with no apparent reason for an "additional security screening". These screenings may range from lengthy privacy-invading pattings and groping, to checking every nook and item of my carry on, to even asking some pretty convoluted questions about my life.
I stop being a person every time I walk into an airport. I carry a target on my back in which my documents say "illegal immigrant", but my face says "terrorist".
If I were to address every uncomfortable experience I've had at the airport, it would take more time to explain than your typical flight delay in Atlanta. So here are the worst of these ordeals:
When I was twelve, my parents and I took a trip to New York City. We had to take a connection in Miami; when we landed, we went through customs and out of nowhere my father was apprehended. Turns out, there was a criminal who coincidentally had my father's same name who was being searched for. My father had already solved this issue on a previous trip, and the information was supposed to have been updated on the airport security system. So why were my parents and I taken away to another room?
The customs officers took us to a tiny room filled with about 20 confused people. Each and every one of us there were people of color. People who looked like they had nothing to apologize for but for the color of their skin and prejudice that comes with it.
We were not given an explanation for why we were taken to that room. My father was infuriated since security had supposedly fixed this issue less than a month ago. He angrily demanded one of the two officers in charge to tell him what was happening. He was answered by howling, telling him to "shut up", "suck it up"."Deport him, man. Just to show him who's boss", the other officer said.
Turns out my father's issue could have been solved in the matter of minutes; it was just a small computer error. However, we were the last ones to leave that room. Thanks to the officer's "generosity" we ended up staying locked in that room for six hours. My mom had to beg one of the officers to give us sandwiches so we could eat. We lost our connection, our luggage, our dignity. We had to get a hotel room last minute, just because of a petty lesson of racial superiority.
Earlier this year, I was coming back from Winter Break to college. At customs, I waited in an area just for international college students. After a thirty minute wait, it was my turn to show my traveling documents. At first, the officer thought some of my documents were fake. (Don't let me get started on another time I was almost sent back because one of my papers was signed in blue) The officer questioned the school I went to, my major, my scholarships. It was like each of the achievements I have worked arduously for was thrown out the window. He then sent me back to wait in an even longer line with other students.
When I asked him why, he told me that is was to verify that I wasn't bringing any dependants to the country which is absolutely ludicrous. Nevertheless, I knew from so many previous experiences to never speak back so I went to the back of the line. Most of these people did not know why they were there. During this hour long wait, I then realized something that we all there had in common: we were all either Latino, Middle Eastern, or Asian. I swallowed this harsh realization as I saw all of the European students pass through customs in a couple of minutes.
I'm an international undergraduate student studying in the United States, for which I have to travel to twice a year. I'm currently in my sophomore year and every trip still fills me with dread, wondering what occurrence will be added next to my list. I begin to resent who I am and where I come from. Coming to this country, a country that supposedly prides itself in promoting "freedom", shouldn't feel like this.
I can't carry this target on my back any longer.
