So the other night....

When I was at this salsa club with a friend, we were receiving a lot of attention from the guys there.  For me, most attention is unwelcomed. The friendly dance is okay but I’m so good with my boyfriend and not looking for anything else. Spanish guys at clubs are very similar to guys in American clubs aka very aggressive and most of the time disgusting.

At this particular club, there were a few guys that we were dancing with here and there. A lot of guys would approach me and ask me either where I was from or if I was Dominican. Right after confirming that I was a Latina they wanted to dance. One guy in particular asked me if I was from Punta Cana and he specifically said "When I say Punta Cana, I mean the Dominican Republic." It made me feel like he was comodifying the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana is one of the biggest areas where there are resorts and beaches. It made me feel like that's all I or my island amounted to in his opinion. He was kept saying "I love your island, I love Punta Cana." Really? You love my island? Do you even know my island other than what you've seen from the beaches you went to when you traveled straight from the airport to the resort? Do you even know the people, what life is like there, our culture? He was defining me and all other Dominicans in the way that he wanted to.
 After dancing for a little bit, when my friend and I were taking a break, this guy came up behind me and started saying things in my ear, one of which being “I brought the condom…” I immediately pushed him away and told him that he couldn’t talk to me like that. My friend and I talked about it really quick but I was still in shock that he said that. That he thought that was okay. I feel super sexualized wherever I go no matter what I’m wearing. It shouldn’t matter. I should feel comfortable wearing and being where I want to be but that’s clearly not the world we live in…
It has made wanting to go out here really difficult. Sometimes I just want to just sit by myself and read or surf the internet or talk to my friends at home that understand...