Cuban Woman in the U.S. to Immigrants Complaining About Their Jobs: "Respect Those Who Didn't Make It"

A young Cuban woman, Jennifer, known on TikTok as @cuba.en.sc, has sparked a deep debate on the platform after sharing a video. She used the complaints of a young Cuban man working at Walmart as a starting point to reflect on some attitudes of Cuban immigrants in the United States.

In her words, Jennifer began by describing how she had seen the video of "a strong, young man" working in the dairy section at Walmart who was complaining about the harsh conditions, especially the cold that "burned his hands." According to her, the young man's entire video was "practically a cry," which led her to ask, "You crossed rivers, jungles, and seas to get here. What do you expect when you arrive in a country that's not yours? Do you expect to cross the Rio Grande and become a CEO of a company?"

With this question, she addressed what she considered to be an unrealistic expectation of immediate success by some Cuban immigrants. She believes it's crucial for immigrants to understand that to advance, they must prepare, study, "take courses and do things," and not just complain: "If your hands are freezing, wear gloves."

During her reflection, Jennifer also recalled her own experience as a newly graduated engineer in Cuba, where she had worked alongside "senior engineers" with decades of experience who earned exactly the same salary as she did. These engineers wore "worn-out boots" and tattered clothes after years of work, with no hope of improving their situation: "There is no job growth there," she emphasized in her video, indicating that in Cuba, despite hard work, "promotions are for the military" and "the salary is fixed."

For Jennifer, the frequent complaints and grievances of some immigrants also negatively affect the image of the Cuban community: "Because of people like that, we have a reputation—Cuban men are seen as lazy, and women as prostitutes," she lamented, defending that not all Cubans are like that. "Respect those who were left behind on the journey, those who didn't make it here," she urged.

In her final reflection, Jennifer invited Cubans not to be swayed by the negativity in these videos and to remember why they left Cuba. "When you feel like you were better off in Cuba and that you're working too hard here, remember your last day on the island; remember your first day when you set foot on American soil and could breathe for the first time; remember the first time you went to a market," she said.

"Remember how badly you lived, remember the heat, the mosquitoes, the suffocation, the noise, the stench, the lack of water today, the lack of gas tomorrow, the power outages. When you feel like you're failing here, remember that failure is in Cuba, and it's not up to you, because no matter how hard you try in Cuba, there is no perspective," she concluded, sparking a wave of reactions on TikTok.

While some supported her stance, other users expressed their disagreement. One follower commented, "The U.S. is the most logical country I know; if you use just 20% of your intelligence, you'll notice there are endless possibilities"; "You come to this country to start from scratch and be smart so you can reach the top where self-pride resides"; "Well said, your education and humility are evident"; "Exactly, it needed to be said," some opined.

On the other hand, some defended the right to complain. "Why judge? What's wrong with complaining? Complaining is the first step to being dissatisfied and starting to move forward"; "You have a colonized view of life. Life isn't just about working like a slave to own a house. Life is about more, and it needs to be defined"; "Who are you to judge? Calm down, you need to complain and realize how bad things are to make progress," others added.