A Cuban living in the United States shared an anecdote about an experience she had while working on a Sunday. The TikTok user, @mariancita18, identified as Marian Martínez Conc., recounted how, during her workday, a customer asked her, surprised, what a Cuban was doing working on a Sunday.
"Let me tell you, I'm here at work right now, and someone comes up to me and asks, ‘Are you Cuban?’ I replied yes, and then he asked why I’m working on a Sunday," Marian explained in her video, sounding perplexed.
The man seemed to assume that Sundays were universally recognized as days of rest, to which she reflected, "I don't understand; I think a lot of people currently work on Sundays in the United States. I told him that yes, I had to work on Sunday."
The situation became more interesting when Marian asked the client if he worked on Sundays. His response was that he worked from Monday to Saturday, which led the Cuban woman to reflect, "It's the same, my brother. He has Sunday off, and I have the rest of the week free because I only work three days."
"Tell them that this is not Cuba; this is the United States, and we work 40 hours a week, no matter what day it is." "I'm Cuban, and in this country, I haven't worked 8 days a week because there are only 7." "I have a cousin in Miami who used to say, 'Hey, man, here in Miami we don't work on Saturday or Sunday; that's for resting,’ and I believed him." "They say we never work here. They speak without knowing," are some of the reactions to this young Cuban woman's video.
Marian's account highlights how Cuban immigrants adapt to the nuances of the American labor market, where days off vary depending on the schedules and shifts of each job. It also reflects how flexibility and a willingness to work are essential for many striving to succeed in this country.
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