Sticks and stones...
The significance of a pejorative is something we define for ourselves as individuals. I prefer not to be be referred to as someone's "Bud or Buddy" unless we have some sort of ongoing long standing relationship. That's a personal preference. In most cases when someone uses that phrase it's not meant in a negative way but as a short form salutation. When it is used inappropriately from my perspective, I mention it ("I'm not your Bud") and that person gets to choose a different word for the next time.
Papi, in the DR is used in different circumstances by locals but the only one that comes into play for most of us foreign males is as an informal greeting to someone whose name a local doesn't know. It would not be used to refer to a 20 something year old male but is reserved for foreign males who are clearly past middle age and is used predominately by those at the lower end of the social economic scale.
I do not believe that the use of Papi is intended to be a slight or a derogatory term in and of itself. Probably it's just an easy generic pronoun. If one finds being referred to as Papi insulting, just pointing that out, is enough to cause the individual to adjust their lexicon and the use of se?or is soon to follow.
In short, being referred to as Papi for the most part is not meant to be derogatory but can and probably should be perceived as a term of endearment that my not be appropriate for use at a 1st meeting of two people. if you find the term unsettling, just saying something is enough to stop its use until the next "girl" stops by to ask for bus fare to Santiago..."
The significance of a pejorative is something we define for ourselves as individuals. I prefer not to be be referred to as someone's "Bud or Buddy" unless we have some sort of ongoing long standing relationship. That's a personal preference. In most cases when someone uses that phrase it's not meant in a negative way but as a short form salutation. When it is used inappropriately from my perspective, I mention it ("I'm not your Bud") and that person gets to choose a different word for the next time.
Papi, in the DR is used in different circumstances by locals but the only one that comes into play for most of us foreign males is as an informal greeting to someone whose name a local doesn't know. It would not be used to refer to a 20 something year old male but is reserved for foreign males who are clearly past middle age and is used predominately by those at the lower end of the social economic scale.
I do not believe that the use of Papi is intended to be a slight or a derogatory term in and of itself. Probably it's just an easy generic pronoun. If one finds being referred to as Papi insulting, just pointing that out, is enough to cause the individual to adjust their lexicon and the use of se?or is soon to follow.
In short, being referred to as Papi for the most part is not meant to be derogatory but can and probably should be perceived as a term of endearment that my not be appropriate for use at a 1st meeting of two people. if you find the term unsettling, just saying something is enough to stop its use until the next "girl" stops by to ask for bus fare to Santiago..."