Piropos en la calle

Growing up in southern California, I am somewhat “desensitized” to the cat calls in the streets. In the DR I run into persistent cat callers on the streets who shout out piropos. If you were to look up piropo in the English Spanish dictionary, its literal conjugation is ‘compliment’. However, the typical foreign woman would call it harassment. Most Dominican woman would agree-or so they say. Being so accustomed to these piropos-which usually include hissing, singing songs, shouting certain phrases or nicknames- if a Dominican woman did not hear any piropos on her walk in the streets, she would go home and immediately check a mirror to make sure she was looking okay. It would almost be abnormal l and cause a woman to think that something was wrong with her appearance if she didn’t receive piropos.

Everyday I run the same route in the morning with my friend Alyson. We pass the same people and every day we get the same piropos. I usually laugh them off or answer with a smile “Buenos dias.” Sometimes, if I answer them, they get very surprised and even embarrassed. They can’t possibly think that they can pick up a woman by screaming “rubia preciosa” “te quiero” “I love you baby,” etc. To joke with the men I pass daily is actually a good way to get them to stop and actually gain some respect for you (even Peace Corps say so). However, random people throughout the day, are simply ignored.

It’s funny how accustomed I have become to this by living in a more latino community for my whole life. (NOT saying that all latinos partake in this behavior) I actually don’t understand how someone can actually take them seriously and allow their machismo piggish behavior bother them. I am lucky enough to have arrived just as a popular song called “Pa Manga Mi Visa” came out and is the #1 song in the nation. Basically, the lyrics say “I want an American so I can get my Visa, I want an American to teach me English, I want an American to take me away from here, I will marry you to go to New York.” Needless to say, males from as young as 5 years old sing the lyrics to me in the street. The lyrics are great and I always have something to respond with. “No soy el consol” (I am not the consulate) usually gives them a laugh.