Advice to newly arrived Cubans living at relatives' homes: "You are a huge problem."

Luis David Fuentes, 'El Kentubano', has shared on his YouTube channel "the video that newcomers to the United States should watch." It is a brief but powerful motivational talk with one piece of advice directed at Cubans who have just settled in Kentucky (southeast of the United States) and have been welcomed into the homes of family and friends. "Find yourselves a little apartment."

Just in case they were not clear, the coach tells them that even if they are welcomed with a hug and saying, "Welcome to freedom," they are actually a problem, no, "a huge problem" for those people who have to cover the costs of their stay, with increased consumption of electricity, water, gasoline, etc.

And not only that. Having them in their homes also breaks the plans and routines of those who host them, "their customs and their ways of doing things." "Maybe the guy is in his underwear and the woman without a bra, and they can’t because you are there." They also can’t plan a party "because you are there."

Things can get worse if the man or woman who is helping them in the United States becomes the taxi driver for the newcomer. "Take me to the lawyer, take me to the appointment." That’s why he clarifies that in America "time is money" and anyone who dedicates fifteen minutes to them "should be thanked for life," Fuentes said before an audience of just over a dozen newly arrived Cubans.

To help them understand the importance of time in the United States, he reminded them that payment is made by the hour. Moreover, he assured them that they will agree with him in a few years, unless the dictatorship ends and Cubans no longer have to emigrate.

"When the years go by and you have your little house furnished, with planned vacations and your little job, everything organized, saying, this year we are going to Punta Cana, and suddenly, a call comes in on WhatsApp from your partner or your cousin in Cuba: 'Hey, let’s go over there.' And he arrives with his wife and three kids, doesn't clean the dishes, and spends the whole day on his cell phone. In that situation, he is sure that within a week they will show him the door."

It's not that the friend or family member who receives them in the United States is a bad person. "No, you are a problem." That's why he advises "scaring off the mule" and looking for a small apartment because he has seen many families unhappy for this reason.

"Those who have been here for years have their priorities, they have their ways, and they already know how this works. Those who come arrive with the customs and influence from Cuba. And it’s complicated because everyone here has their schedule, their way of being, their money, and their planning, and you are disrupting that," he said.

More than 50,000 Cubans have settled in Kentucky in the last two years, especially in Louisville (15,000), which is considered the second Miami. And there, the presence of the islanders is noticeable in the customs and culture, which, when fused with that of the host land, has given rise to the "Kentubanos."

Emigrants from Cuba stated in a BBC report in 2023 that they prefer Kentucky because it has lower taxes, affordable living costs, job opportunities in large companies such as Amazon, General Electric, and UPS, and the possibility of buying properties at accessible prices.

In September 2023, The New York Times stated that Cubans "represent the largest immigrant group in Louisville, and their number, which continues to grow, has helped offset the population decline in the county of 770,000 residents, (...) as young Americans move to larger cities."

Where the Cuban influence in Kentucky is most notable is in the nightlife of the city, with the opening of restaurants and clubs that offer authentic Cuban food and music to satisfy both the growing island community and the locals. Additionally, they even have a magazine, El Kentubano, with news from the host city; about Cuba; community events, and job and housing offers for newcomers.

The first Cubans to arrive in Louisville did so during the mass exodus following the Special Period. Those who did not have family in Miami were resettled in states like Kentucky.