A TikTok user known as @erikalaindomable0, a Cuban living in the United States, has stirred up social media by sharing a video laden with humor and irony, criticizing fellow Cubans who, in her view, forget their roots after improving their quality of life abroad.
In her video, Erika sarcastically comments on the attitude of some compatriots who now prefer more exclusive places for their shopping, dismissing more affordable stores or those related to Latin culture: "No my sister, I don't go to Walmart to shop anymore, nor do I step into El Rey or El Rancho. Those are just Latino markets and full of Cuban nonsense. Let people go to Walmart if they want," she says, mimicking what some compatriots might say.
She continues by referencing the lifestyle in Cuba, reminding viewers of the difficulties and how many who now flaunt their success in the United States have forgotten their humble beginnings: "You forgot that you used to go around in flip-flops, with a scarf on your head, without brushing your teeth, to collect the rations you got in Cuba. And you would fight a lot when the shopkeeper took a pound of rice from you."
Erika not only points out this forgetfulness of roots but also mentions how some brag about where they live and the cars they drive: "No, my rent is in Downtown, I rent in a good American area. You forgot that in Cuba you didn't even have a bicycle, you took the P1, P7, and P14 buses a lot, and you walked a lot."
A Call for Humility
With a call for humility and not losing sight of one's origins, the tiktoker concludes her video with a reflection: "Let's behave like people and human beings, because in the end, none of this belongs to us, and when we go, we take nothing with us."
The video, which continues to gain views and reactions, has resonated with many Cuban users, both inside and outside the island, who see Erika's words as a painfully ironic but accurate critique of how some forget their roots after emigrating.