5 Assignment 11

In “Between Love and Money: Sex, Tourism, and Citizenship in Cuba and the Dominican Republic” Amalia L. Cabezas discusses the effects tourism has in countries such as Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Cabezas establishes mass adjustments both countries had to make due to the changes in both their political and economic order. Both countries had extensive economic and social outcomes. One change includes tourism which aided the economic system, this change brought about sex tourism. Women and men both offered their bodies in exchange for gifts like clothing, jewelry, and meals. Many of these men and women work in hotel workers that work in maintenance, administration, entertainment, reception and even food services. Their position as hotel workers allows them direct contact with tourists. Those who engage in sexual acts do not just want money in exchange for sex. They hope the initial encounter will, in turn, establish stability. This stability of regular payments or regular phone calls will lead to marriage and ideally migration. Although both men and women seek the same goal it is not perceived uniformly throughout gender and skin color. For example, darker skinned women who seek relationships with foreigners are immediately identified as sex workers and prostitutes, both terms are associated with labor and paid work. This is negatively received in the Carribean. On the other hand, their lighter-skinned counterparts are given the leisure to label their relationships as purely romantical and do not endure harassment from law enforcement. Cabeza shares Mari’s, a twenty-three-year-old woman from Santo Domingo, experience with law enforcement. Mari recalls being slapped and even given a black eye from police officers for “bothering tourists”. This reasoning demonstrates the economic need for tourism in their countries. “Bothering tourists would never be a valid reason for arrest in economically thriving regions such as the United States and Western Europe. Additionally, men and women are not equally recognized in their roles of seducing foreigners. Men are observed as “national heroes” who conquer the body of the foreigner while the women are seen as deviant and of poor values.

In the reading, “Between Love and Money: Sex, Tourism, and Citizenship in Cuba and the Dominican Republic”, the author Amalia L. Cabeza talks about sex tourism in two countries and how it effects both the country and its citizens. Early on Cuba and the Dominican Republic were somewhat closed off from the rest of the world but in recent years these two countries have shifted their policies and seek to promote the money tourism brings into the country. The geographic region of these locations (beautiful beaches and landscape)  make it a natural location for vacation from people all around the world with a majority of these tourist coming from the Unites States and West Europe. Amalia quickly shifts into sex tourism talking about how the government allows prostitution to occur as it supports the economy, most of these occur in hotels and in wealthier areas of the country. In tourist filled areas people are judged different based on the color of their skin which brings up citizenship and how people are mistreated despite being all citizens. In a way it brings up the question, what does it mean to be a citizen. If you were someone of lighter skin walking around it would be commonplace but if you were someone with a darker skin tone people would immediately assume that you’re a prostitute. They would get arrested more often than those with lighter skin. Also nothing thing that is brought up is how males were treat far better than females even though they’re in the same industry; male sex workers  were viewed as heroes while females ones were seen as anomalous. She also brings up migration of how a worker had the possibility or migrating to another country if relationship between the two was great. It also assists in gaining citizenship status in the tourist’s country.

In Amelia Cabezas’ “Between Love and Money”, she displays and explains the occurrence of “sex tourism” and how it has helped to form a relationship between policy and economic practices. According to Amelia Cabezas, “sex tourism” occurs when tourists that travel abroad  with the intent to vacation also aim to participate in sexual relations with prostitutes. The government supports this form of prostitution and  “tourism” because it assists in increasing the economic status of a country. Which in many ways is true since most second world and third world countries, such as Cuba and the Dominican Republic, rely heavily on tourism. Prostitutes, whether they be male or female, do it for various reasons. I observed in many cases where homosexual gigolos would do it for pleasure and would accept any gifts the person they had relations with would give them. Females would do it to support their families and themselves having no other sources of employment. Surprisingly, other men and women would have relationships with tourists to establish romantic relationships and/or maybe gain entry into another country. In one instance a Dominican woman had relationships with three tourists who gave her money and supported her at some point and they eventually left her. However, she didn’t sell her body as a prostitute would. Cabezas’ research complicates traditional views on citizenship and nationality by placing an upsetting sexual motive behind it. That sexual relations and romances might compel tourists and provide a country’s population with a opportunity to leave the country and live elsewhere. Meaning they most likely might find citizenship in a first world country and have better opportunities. Nationality is complicated by Cabezas’ research because the government, even with counter action against “sex tourism”, in a way supports it and does not try its upmost best to combat sexual relationships for money with citizens and tourists. The increase in economic status of their country comes at the expense of their peoples sexuality and safety.

Amelia Cabezas, ” Between Love and Money: Sex and Tourism and Citizenship in Cuba and The Dominican Republic”, gives the reader insight into the underground economy of prostitution in different countries and how tourism has affected the surge of this underground economy. Amelia Cabezas creates this idea of “Sex Tourism”. That tourists and travelers to different countries like Cuba and the Dominican Republic go to different countries not with the sole purpose of engaging in sexual activities with the peoples there but rather that it is part of the experience there. That this whole idea that prostitution is common amongst tourist sites motivates people to visit these places even more so than their beautiful beaches, etc. The government also allows this to happen because their governments rely on “sex workers” so why say or do anything. But then the author gives us with the “romance” side. Which isn’t a correct label for acts like these. She says homosexual men engage in sexual acts with no expectations of receiving any type of money for it ( most likely because their environment doesn’t support openly gay men so they look for alternate ways to feel satisfaction) and women look for romantic relationships with tourists ( If you read closely money and citizenship status in other countries were motives most likely for these relationships).  Citizenship status and nationality is complicated only if your not accustomed to seeing and observing these actions yourself. Its normal in society to see why tourists visit other countries. And its pretty obvious as to why people in poor countries sell their bodies to anyone from a first world countries with a chance of becoming a citizen in another country maybe for a better life. Nationality is complicated because you can see tourism helping the country financially but then again what are the intentions of these filthy men/women, to take advantage of people who are poorer than them.

In Cabezas’ “ Between Love and Money,” she adds to the dialogue concerning sex tourism and citizenship. The Caribbean has a very strong tourism industry and with relation to her research Cabezas show how tourism promotes sex. Cabezas did her research in Cuba and the Dominican Republic where those in the hospitality and resort industry like chambermaids and beach boys engage in sexual relations with foreigners. Having a sexual relationship with and accepting gifts from these tourists became a source of extra income to support their families for these workers that have meager wages. A lot of “sex workers” don’t like to accept money from tourist but rather accept gifts or even offer to pay sometimes in an effort to disassociate themselves with the prostitution or in the hope of the relationship blossoming into something more. Some of the people Cabezas interviewed said they hoped to have a long lasting romance with frequent visits and even a marriage proposal with would in turn lead to migration. In regards to citizenship, the social condemnation of some sexual practices and the heterosexual patriarchal structure in Cuba creates “partial citizens”. The state actively controls the sexuality of women. Cabezas argues that sexual citizenship- public life is no longer dominated by heterosexual males, but rather based on gender and sexual diversity- will allow for a society where people who don’t conform to the heteronormativity of today’s society to have control and responsibility over their own sexual lives. Sexuality also complicate traditional views on nationality because when we usually talk about nationality we are referring to a person or group of people belonging to a specific country. However, because of sex tourism, people with the same nationality are segregated. Cabezas writes that lighter skinned Cubans are able to be receptionists and at the front desk of resorts when tourists enter but dark-skinned Cubans are performers (which gives of a very sensual notion to tourists) or are back-kitchen workers. Also, mulata Cubans are automatically labeled “sex worker” if seen with a foreigner while a lighter-skinned Cuban who dates a foreigner is not. Darker skinned people in the Dominican Republic also run the risk of being arrested for prostitution if they are caught in touristy areas alone while their light-skinned counterparts who may engage in prostitution are not viewed in the same light. So although one may be of the same nationality; race, class and skin color does influence the general population’s perception.

Cabeza’s research touches on a largely ignored component of research in sexual tourism in the Caribbean: How these “sex workers” identify themselves. According to her work the term “sex worker” cannot be applied to men and women who have romantic and sexual relationships with European tourists. In both The Dominican Republic and Cuba these men and women reject the idea of themselves as prostitutes and see their relationships with these tourists as friendships that can help them acquire some capital to rise out of poverty. Most women do not see these encounters with tourists as an exchange of sex for money but would rather receive gifts that could build the relationship and lead to marriage and migration. While both men and women participate in these sort of arrangements women receive much more scrutiny. In Cuba men that date foreigners are seen as national heroes for “conquering” the bodies of foreign women (118). Meanwhile women are placed under heavy surveillance and their behavior is criminalized. Light skinned and dark skinned women both participate in courting tourists however only dark skinned women are met with abuse and disgust. Light skinned women’s relationships with the tourists are seen as “romance” while dark skinned women are always thought to be prostitutes. Mass roundups of dark skinned women in clubs and even individual women walking alone at night are read as prostitutes. They are arrested and made to pay fines for their “immoral behavior.” Women’s “deviant” sexual behaviors are tied to nation building and citizenship because their means of survival are criminalized and they are constructed as outsiders in their own countries. While the government, tourism industry and the police work to “protect” tourists from the unsightly dark-complexioned poor they punish the native population for attempting to better their lives.

In Amalia L. Cabezas’ article, “Between Love and Money”, she talks about sex, tourism, and citizenship in
Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Globalization has a big impact to these countries on how sexuality is tied with citizenship. She interviews multiple workers that work in the tourist area. The tourism industry is the primary economic development strategy in both Cuba and the Dominican Republic. The information that Cabezas gets from the workers at the resorts are very interesting. The people from Cuba and the Dominican Republic talk about pingueros and sanky pankys which are men who look for foreign tourists, providing sexual services and companionship to both men and women, straight and gay. Some young men that are considered to be pingueros admitted that being a pinguero is a business which helps them provide for themselves and even provides for their family. One of the most important social impact of tourism is the fact that it involves sex tourism.  Many of the young men and women hope that their connections with foreigners will lead to marriage and migration. Cabezas also mentions how studies show that  that most pingueros, jineteras, and sanky pankys prefer to accept gifts of clothing, jewelry, and meals from tourists rather than to negotiate money for sex. They prefer that because accepting direct cash is basically prostitution which they do not desire. Getting married is one of their hopes so they can end up getting a visa. This right here shows how sex tourism does complicate the traditional views about citizenship and nationality. Also tourism deals with occupational segregation because the training and distribution of work are organized according to racial, sexual, and gender considerations. Most of the front desk workers are lighter skinned Cubans, while entertainment workers and back-kitchen help are mainly black. Race plays a big role in whether or not you are considered a sex worker. A mulata from Santiago living in Havana is automatically categorized as a sex worker meanwhile a pale skinned university student, who only dates foreigners and eventually marries a Frenchman, is not considered a sex worker.

One of the main focuses of  “Between Love and Money: Sex, Tourism, and Citizenship in Cuba and the Dominican Republic” is the almost toxic necessity of tourism in nation’s predominantly affected by American influence and political governance. It’s no surprise that the U.S. has had a lot of meddling in South American countries, particularly in their sustainability and democratic viability, but what’s also interesting is the reactionary position that U.S. influence put these nations in. Cuba and Dominican Republic both have had to adapted to aggressive tourism policies to maintain sustainable economic growth, which then in turn has forced the local economies to adapt to these practices in any way possible, which includes prostitution. The reason this particular field is often the most viable and lucrative one, is that it offers the workers that partake in it an opportunity to travel away from these countries through sustained relationships with their clients. Though this does pose a possible solution to a problem that shouldn’t have existed in the first place, there are very obvious ramifications to this line of work both in the representation of the country itself and the ethical nature of it, too. It’s not ethically wrong to sell out your body, but the issue therein becomes when it’s closely tied to your identity which is what forces these workers to adapt to. There’s a disproportionate difference between being a sex worker because you want to be and one when you have to be, and the conditions in these countries are that most people don’t have much of a choice otherwise if they want to live a sustainable life. This is where the ethical nature of this practice, even if endorsed by the government, comes into play. If there isn’t any other viable form of work, then there’s a concerning issue on the social growth of this nation in particular and of those that tour into these countries in the first place that isn’t being addressed at all.

In Amelia Cabezas article, “Between Love and Money,” she discuses important questions of a tourism, economics, sexuality and prostitution in Cuba and Dominican Republic. In the past twenty years Cuba and Dominican Republic had a major change in their political and economical systems. Before the change, however, these two countries were more closed and inaccessible.  However, in the end of twentieth century Cuba and Dominican Republic had to adapt to the new world order. So, tourism had become one of the main source of revenue for these countries.

Tourism was a way to go because Cuba and Dominican Republic have very beautiful nature and they are surrounded by water. So, economical systems of these two countries are very dependent on the endless waves of tourists coming to towns. Although, the decision to adapt and to be dependent on tourism had some drawbacks for native people who have to live and sustain themselves there. The author discusses that the regular tourism quickly turned to the “sex tourism.” Tourist would come to a Cuba or Dominican Republic and they would have a choice of exploiting prostitution. According to Cabezas, the government does not really mind the prostitutions in the tourist areas. It is also possible to say and assume that the government supports the “sex tourism” since the economy of both Cuba and Dominican Republic fully depend on those type of income. Cabezas also discusses the concept of citizenship and relationship. Sometimes through the process of “sex tourism” people made relationship and it could lead to the gain a certain citizenship in a certain country. Thus, trough their sexuality “sex workers” could support themselves and their families and there was always a possibility of migration, if relationships with a tourist were genuine.

Also from the interviews in the article we can conclude that people in Cuba and Dominican Republic were not against “sex tourism” because it could lead them to a better life even though they had to make a lot of sacrifices along the way. It threatened their sexuality and identity but they still continued this practice.

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.