Cuban Expat Issues Stern Warning to Those Still on the Island: "They Assume You Owe Them"

A Cuban woman living abroad has taken to TikTok to voice her frustrations over what she perceives as a lack of understanding from some Cubans who remain on the island regarding life beyond Cuba. Her video, which has sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, offers a critical perspective on the expectations and emotional burdens many emigrants feel from those they left behind.

The user, known as @iday2023, begins her message by expressing her annoyance, saying, "Sometimes it really bothers me, and it's about the Cubans who are still in Cuba." She explains that when someone gets sick on the island, they feel the need to inform their relatives abroad, without considering that those living outside Cuba also face illness, lack money for transportation, and have to pay rent and gas.

In her account, the Cuban expat underscores that emigrants also encounter economic and emotional challenges, yet often choose not to share these struggles to avoid worrying their families back home. "The Cuban living here doesn't call those back home to tell them what's going on or that they don't have money," she stated.

She also criticized the misguided perceptions of wealth and ease associated with living abroad. "If I post a picture at a beach, they think we're millionaires and that I have money," she remarked, referring to criticisms she has received from acquaintances in Cuba.

While clarifying that her comments were not aimed at her immediate family, she acknowledged having had conflicts with friends and acquaintances over this issue. "Those back there think you're obligated to send them top-ups... so you, who wake up at noon, can expect to live off the Cuban who is here," she concluded.

The video has ignited a debate on social media about the economic and emotional burdens often faced by Cuban emigrants and the need for mutual empathy and understanding between those living inside and outside the country.