"I am Strong, I am Invinicible-"

Do you remember in middle school when you were trying to pass a note to your friend in class but she wasn’t looking in your direction so you “pssssst” at your friend to get their attention? Walking the streets of Santo Domingo, that “pssssssst”-ing follows you wherever you go. You know how Mexicans whistle? Well Dominicans “pssssst”. It’s the most annoying thing ever. Because our ears are trained to automatically turn and look in the direction of the “psssssst” in expectation of an urgent request for your immediate attention only to find a dirty, perverted stare of a Dominican man whispering words in Spanish that I’m happy I can’t understand.

In my Spanish class, we had a discussion about these men and the way they treat women. Some people in my class think that Dominican men are only expressing their beauty and can’t contain themselves when they see a pretty woman and want to share their feelings. I disagree. The men here will “pssst” at anything with legs. Fat, ugly, no hair, no teeth, shoot she could be blind and only have one leg and they would still “pssst” at her like she was Halle Berry. The one Haitian girl in my class, Natalie, said, “You’re a woman.” Like because I was a woman what did I expect? Like the treatment I was receiving from men ogling me like I was walking pornography came with me being a woman was as natural as having a monthly period.

“And? I don’t care if I am a woman. God created Adam and Eve equally. I am not just some sex toy, I am a human being with a mind and deserve to be treated with respect!” I blurted this out in Spanish before I had time to realize how furiously I had reacted. I forgot that there are people in this world who TRULY view women as nothing more than sex, as nothing more than a pretty face and nice legs. I can’t imagine being raised in a country where these ideals and standards were prominent. I know the US isn’t perfect, and that there is still injustice and that some people still share these same beliefs about women, but at least in the US, I can file a lawsuit if I feel I’m being discriminated because of my sex.

I’ve never been proud to be an American before coming here, but now I’m starting to realize all of the simple freedoms we take for granted, especially the rights we've acquired as women. I miss you, United States.

- The Girl with the Monkey Mind