I Spent More Than A Year Dressing As Hello Kitty In Times Square, And It Was Surreal

In 2012, after working as a photographer in Latin America for the better part of a decade, Joana Toro moved to New York to study English.

Toro soon found herself in need of extra money to support herself, which led her roommate Marcela to introduce her to the semi-legal world of Times Square street performers.

Toro was captivated by the mostly immigrant performers, who make a living by dressing as iconic characters, posing for pictures with tourists, and asking for tips.

"It was shocking at first to see Mickey Mouse did not speak English and was an immigrant from Mexico," Toro told the New York Times. " ... It was surreal. A paradox."

Soon after her introduction, Toro took up her own costume. For a year and a half, she donned the cumbersome costume of Hello Kitty and saw firsthand a world that many people can't imagine.

Toro shared some photos from her experience, and you can see the rest at her website.