Anthro. Essay 1 - Stephen Corello Recitation Monday...

Stephen Corello
Recitation: Monday, February 26
Sosúa is considered a “transnational town” because there are many instances of people
maintaining long-distance relationships across national borders. For instance, the women of
Sosúa are frequently in relationships with men of European countries. “Sosúa – its international
tourist, sex-tourist trade, and foreign resident community – can be seen as a product of
globalization.” (Brennan 39.) The transnational look that it portrays is due to the people and
money that surge to the town from other countries. The reason for this great flood of tourists
stems from the idea of being in a place considered as a paradise. It is a tropical place with
breathtaking beaches and water as blue as a sapphire. Also, Sosúa offers racialized bodies and
sex to those looking to escape the mundane, and for some, to fulfill their erotic and exotic
fantasies. Many flee to Sosúa as a way to take themselves away from their, perhaps normal, run-
of-the-mill life and make them feel as though they are someone of great importance.
Sosúan sex workers view sex, love, and marriage as a means to better their economic
class. Most of the sex workers encountered were single mothers with much need for money.
With very little well-paying jobs, many Sosúan women become sex workers as a way to meet
their financial demand. It seems that those who “perform” the best at acting as though they are
in love have the most to gain. In many cases, the sex workers say truthfully that their
“relationships with foreign clients are por residencia, not por amor.” (Brennan 21.)