A recent video on TikTok has brought back to the forefront of conversation one of the most common practices among emigrated Cubans: sending their relatives on the island anything that can alleviate the shortages of daily life in Cuba.
This time, the focus is on Walmart rice bags, an item that may seem insignificant abroad, but which takes on special value on the island. The clip, published by the user Patry.tu.flaqui (@patry.tu.flaqui), shows how her friend carefully collects these bags to send to Cuba.
The video, which has already garnered over 330 thousand views and 11 thousand likes, and features the viral audio 'tato qué es esto' in the background, continues to bring smiles, but also reflections.
In the images, the girl is seen pulling several of these bags out from under the sink, ready for her next shipment. With the phrase "My friend collects bags to send to Cuba; oh my God, now I've really died!" accompanying the video, the humorous tone is clear. However, behind the 'joke' lies a reality: the severe scarcity faced by the island, where something as simple as a bag can become a luxury.
TikTok users quickly filled the comments section with their own experiences and anecdotes about life in Cuba. One of them said: “Well, I went to a hotel in Varadero with one of those bags and even took a photo for Facebook, I didn’t know it was the one for rice here.” Another user added with laughter: “Now even my mom wants me to send her one because she says they are in fashion over there in Cuba.”
Among the comments, several users confessed how they have turned this practice into a habit, showing how recycling any type of item is a key resource to support their family. "My daughter and I have like thirty to send. I thought we were the only ones, it's an epidemic," joked one follower. Another added, "God, in Cuba that's a Louis Vuitton."
"I also save them for my mom; there aren't even bags there, and at least these will last her"; "Tato, you're something else, I also send them to Cuba, they value them a lot there"; "I, who work in a market, get them for free because I always say I’m sending them to my mom; soon she can sell them"; "The Cuban is always thinking about family"; "Don't be ashamed, lucky is the one who can have a little bag like that in Cuba"; "That is gold in Cuba, they sell them for 500 pesos, and families survive"; "That's a luxury bag"; "I feel the same. It gives me a feeling. The nicest thing is that they sell them in Cuba"; "Oh, I send them to Cuba too for my family, and they use them for everything and always ask me if I don't have more nice bags"; "You laugh and everything, but they are good to send because the truth is there's nothing there"; "A respectable Cuban keeps rice bags to send to Cuba"; "I've sent to several people in my neighborhood and they are happy," is read among the reactions provoked by the short video, with which many have identified.
The video by Patry.tu.flaqui - which joins other viral ones on the network where users have shown how they take advantage of Walmart's bags of rice, especially those from brands like "Royal Basmati," to send them to the island - is not just a demonstration of Cuban humor in the face of difficulties, but also a reflection of the solidarity of emigrants with those who remained behind. For many on the island, these bags are much more than just a reusable container: they are a tool that solves everyday problems and a reminder of the support from their relatives abroad.
This type of debate not only provokes laughter but also a deep reflection on living conditions in Cuba. Although humor prevails, the scarcity on the island is a serious issue that drives many Cubans abroad to seek any way to help their loved ones. In this sense, the viralization of the video by Patry.tu.flaqui reflects how something as ordinary as a bag of rice can take on new meaning in times of need.
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