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Alfie Corteza Assignment #11

Alfie Corteza

Professor Bullock

Assignment #11

In Amalia L. Cabezas’ piece “Between Love and Money: Sex, Tourism, and Citizenship in Cuba and the Dominican
Republic” She explains that there are men and women in Cuba and the Dominican Republic that participate in the sex industry not to just earn a meager income, but the possibility of having a life outside of the countries that they reside. These two countries rely on the tourist economy, and as a result, the nation’s economy is not as high compared to developed countries. Most of the tourists arriving in these countries are form the United States, or from Western Europe both of which are considerably better than the Caribbean islands.

Cabeza’s research complicates the views about citizenship and nationality as the police, and the society within these countries judge the people’s skin color in specific tourist-filled areas. For example, a lighter skinned national in the tourist district would be considered normal or nothing out of the ordinary, however, if a darker woman comes out of a discotheque she is regarded as a sex-worker by those that see her as well as the police. What is interesting is the fact that males are celebrated when they have sex however once a female takes part in any sexual favors or acts she is deemed indecent. It complicates the nationality of these people as they judge each other within their society based off of the skin color that they are. It is especially unfortunate for those that are arrested and then sent to prisons with those that committed murder and sold drugs. Afterwards, they would then be sent to a rehabilitation center possibly for a couple of years.

As a result, the sex tourism industry in these countries is a benefit and yet an issue. One may have the possibility to escape the impoverished country that they can live in to escape to the United States or Western Europe, or be jailed by the police and being publicly labeled as a sex worker by those that witnessed the event that occurred.