Table Of ContentLife o n the M aLecón
The Rutgers Series in Childhood Studies
The Rutgers Series in Childhood Studies is dedicated to increasing our understand-
ing of children and childhoods, past and present, throughout the world. Children’s
voices and experiences are central. Authors come from a variety of fields, including
anthropology, criminal justice, history, literature, psychology, religion, and sociol-
ogy. The books in this series are intended for students, scholars, practitioners, and
those who formulate policies that affect children’s everyday lives and futures.
Edited by Myra Bluebond-Langner, Board of Governors Professor of Anthro-
pology, Rutgers University and True Colours Chair in Palliative Care for Children
and Young People, University College London, Institute of Child Health.
Advisory Board
Perri Klass, New York University
Jill Korbin, Case Western Reserve University
Bambi Schieffelin, New York University
Enid Schildkraut, American Museum of Natural History
and Museum for African Art
Li fe o n t h e
M a Lecó n
children and Youth on the
Streets of Santo Domingo
Jon W olseth
Rutgers U niversity Pre ss
new Brunswick, new Jersey and London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wolseth, Jon, 1975–
Life on the Malecón : children and youth on the streets of Santo Domingo / Jon
Wolseth.
pages cm. — (The Rutgers series in childhood studies)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978–0–8135–6288–9 (hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 978–0–8135–6287–2
(pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 978–0–8135–6289–6 (e-book)
1. Street youth—Dominican Republic—Santo Domingo. 2. Street children—Do-
minican Republic—Santo Domingo. 3. Child welfare—Dominican Republic—Santo
Domingo. 4. Social work with youth—Dominican Republic—Santo Domingo. I.
Title.
HV887.D652S268 2013
362.74—dc23 2013005959
A British Cataloging-in-Publication record for this book is available from the British
Library.
Copyright © 2014 by Jon Wolseth
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without
written permission from the publisher. Please contact Rutgers University Press, 106
Somerset Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. The only exception to this prohibition is
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Visit our website: http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu
Manufactured in the United States of America
for my nieces, isabel, evelyn, and Lindsay
contentS
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
Structural Forces Impacting Young Lives 2
Children as Cultural Agents 6
Structure and Agency on Dominican Streets 10
Organization of Book 13
Methods: The Anthropologist as Outreach Educator 16
1 Outreach Work 20
Living and Sleeping on the Malecón 20
Crying Wolf 30
Going Home 40
The First Hurdle 55
Telling the Truth 62
Back on the Conde 70
Commentary 74
2 Structural Conditions 81
Finding Panchito 81
Entering Rehab 90
Maria’s Condition 94
Going to Prison 101
Off the Streets 119
Commentary 133
3 Friendship and Everyday Violence on the Street 143
Conflict Resolution 143
Aftermath 160
Commentary 177
Conclusion 183
vii
viii contents
Notes 201
References 207
Index 213
acknowLeDgMentS
This book is the testament of work in community, and I received untold sup-
port from friends, family members, and colleagues throughout all steps in the
process of researching and writing. Without this network of assistance and
encouragement, this book would not have seen the light of day.
I would like to thank the hundreds of children and youth with whom I
worked on the streets in the Dominican Republic over the course of this
study, for their willingness to let us build mutual trust and permit me to
accompany them on their journeys for a brief period of time. My colleagues at
Niños del Camino welcomed me from the beginning. Their passion for their
work was infectious from the start. They accepted me for all my quirks. Out-
reach requires a team you can trust; I found that and more with Ana Sosa,
Epifanio de Jesús Castillo, Héctor Ramírez, Eli Barbado, Núria Perelló, Ken-
nedy Estrella, Lidia Miralles, Isabelle Deneyer, Pura González, Liduvina San-
tos, Ruth Montano, and Agustín Mora. Working alongside them provided
some of the best (and most challenging!) times in my life. Special thanks
to Ana, Epifanio, Héctor, Eli, and Núria. Knowing them has made me a bet-
ter person. María Blanco accepted the challenge of having a resident volun-
teer; Estívaliz Ladrón de Guevara graciously put up with my suggestions and
prodding. Dorca Rojas and Martha Alcántara offered a supportive ear and
care. Outreach could not have happened without the aid of Wanda Santos,
Yolanda Ramírez, Julio César Urbaez, Angela Peña, and Teresa Luciano. Spe-
cial thanks to Montse Bobés and Dr. Martha Arredondo for their compassion
and sense of justice. Miriam Jiménez, Altagracia Concepción, and Víctor Moll
always came through in times of need. Dr. Marta Martínez Muñoz offered
much-needed perspective.
Peace Corps Dominican Republic supported me at every step. Adele Wil-
liams perceptively placed me where I could thrive and trusted in my abilities.
I served under two exemplary country directors, Javier Garza and Romeo
Massey, both models of service and leadership. Javier’s presence in this world
is particularly missed. Thank you to all of PCDR’s staff and associates, espe-
cially Tammy Simo, Liliana Castillo, Nurys Matos, and Jennifer McGowan. I
had the pleasure of serving with some of the most enthusiastic and caring vol-
unteers while in PCDR. I drew strength from Laura Ibañez, Emily Hoffman,
and Rachelle Olden. Laura, especially, has been a source of constancy and
ix
x acknowledgments
reason. I have also benefited greatly from the friendship of Angela Bennett,
Rosa Garza and Chris Moore, Amanda Gilley, Christy Dimos, Joanna Mauer,
and Mary Rolle.
A heartfelt thanks to the folks at Rutgers University Press. Even in the face
of superstorm Sandy, they were able to shepherd this book to print. Marlie
Wasserman is a model editor: no-nonsense and willing to go to bat for her
authors. Thank you for sharing my vision, even when I was unable to artic-
ulate it fully. I profited from the substantial comments of three anonymous
reviewers: thank you for taking the time to provide critical feedback. I espe-
cially would like to single out the sociologist who reviewed the manuscript.
Your comments gave me confidence at a particularly low moment.
I profited from working with David Lancy, Suzanne Gaskins, Dennis Rod-
gers, and Gareth Jones on projects associated with this material. Each in their
own way pushed me to think about my time in Santo Domingo from a new
perspective, shaping many of the concerns that frame this book. Diego Vigil
offered a heartening comment after a conference presentation that pushed
me forward. Brigittine French and Guadalupe Salazar both, in their own
ways, have proved inspirational and encouraging. Florence Babb continues
to exert a gentle influence on my intellectual work. Her support of my uncon-
ventional path through and around academia has been astonishing. This book
also owes an intellectual debt to Margery Wolf, Mac Marshall, Laurie Gra-
ham, and Kathy Fine-Dare. Thank you for introducing me to what is possible
with ethnography, and an expanded definition of the good of anthropology.
Camaraderie and conversations with Carolyn Hough, Meg McCullough,
Anne-Marine Feat, Amanda Hamp, Thomas Blanton, Matt Simpson, Amy
Weldon, Harv Klevar, Maryna Bazylevych, Anita Carrasco, Rebecca Bow-
man, Ginger Meyette, Lori Stanley, Lea Pickard, and Doug White have
shaped this book. Anne-Marine, Amy, Matt, Amanda, and Tom made sub-
stantive comments on other versions of this material. Harv reminded me to
tell the story I wanted to tell.
While teaching at Luther College, I had the pleasure of sharing versions
of this material with students, especially in my Street Cultures class. Their
feedback and interest were signposts of the direction I needed to go. I espe-
cially would like to thank Tyler Foster-Stavneak, James Feinstein, Andrea
Kruse, Aaron Rosell, Aparna Ashok, Michaela Hill, Molly Andersen, Alex
Lange, Jeni Arbuckle, Dustin Hruby, Courtney Greenley, David Hecht, Ali-
son Sancken, Molly Kline, Anna Morris, Kathleen Durbin, Alex Anderson,
Lindsey Bulger, Amanda Kloser, Annie McKay, and Adam Kruse.
My friends have endured my stories and my moodiness. Special thanks
to Jacqueline Comito, a model of active engagement in making the world a
