An outspoken Cuban woman living in Italy, known as @atelier_babacar on TikTok, shared a video this Wednesday revealing her admiration for Italian women's approach to motherhood.
In the nearly two-minute clip, she highlights that most Italian women do not rush into having children at a young age or with just anyone; instead, they plan carefully.
"Not all of them, but most think it through. Hardly any have children young or with just anyone," she asserts in the video.
She contrasts this with what she sees as a "bad habit" among Latin women: "We Latinas often get pregnant young and end up having to play the role of both mother and father."
Speaking from personal experience, she had her son, Babacar, at 21 but managed to thrive. "I had Babacar at 21 and did everything: graduated, got my driver's license, worked, started a business. Kids give you this drive to conquer the world," she shares.
However, she clarifies that her intention isn’t to portray children as burdens but to emphasize the difference between raising children with a partner versus alone. "It's beautiful when you have a child with your partner, two people thinking and struggling together. It's not the same as carrying the burden alone," she explains.
Having experienced both scenarios, she poses an open-ended question to her audience: "As Latinas, we often have kids young and go it alone... It’s almost like having a child is seen as an easy thing. I'm not sure, what do you think?"
Statistics support her view. In Italy, the average age for first-time mothers is 31.9 years (ISTAT, 2024), one of the highest in Europe, while in Cuba, it's 22.8 years (ONEI, 2022). Cuba’s teenage birth rate is 35.7 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19, compared to only 3.2 in Italy, a striking 11-fold difference. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 27% of all births in Cuba are to teenage mothers.
These insights are part of a growing trend among Cuban expatriates in Italy using TikTok to contrast their native culture with their new environment, sparking debate with their candid reflections and willingness to highlight cultural differences based on personal experience.
Other Cuban women in Italy have shared similar stories about the challenges of immigration and cultural clashes, such as one who spent nine years undocumented before regularizing her status and starting a business, or those who have discussed maintaining their identity amidst cultural stereotypes in Europe.
Meanwhile, Italy is experiencing a continuous decline in birth rates, with 4,600 fewer births in the first seven months of 2024 compared to the same period the previous year, according to ISTAT.
Insights on Motherhood and Cultural Differences
What is the main cultural difference highlighted by the Cuban woman regarding motherhood?
The Cuban woman points out that Italian women generally plan more carefully before having children, unlike Latin women who often become mothers at a younger age and frequently take on the parenting role alone.
How do the statistics reflect the cultural differences in motherhood between Italy and Cuba?
Statistics show that the average age for first-time mothers in Italy is significantly higher than in Cuba, and the teenage birth rate in Cuba is about 11 times higher than in Italy, underscoring the cultural differences in family planning.