The Cuban content creator known as @el.profesor.cubano has once again sparked a wave of reactions on social media after posting a video from Cartagena, Murcia, in which he highlights the symbolic and practical value of everyday objects like an empty paint bucket for those who grew up in Cuba.
“This empty bucket, in Cuba, is like gold,” says the young man as he prepares to paint a wall. “Cubans know what I’m talking about… you clean it well and it’s good for water in the kitchen, for showering…”.
El video, cargado de nostalgia y realismo, fue compartido en su cuenta de TikTok y rápidamente encontró eco entre cientos de usuarios, muchos de ellos también emigrados. “La cubeta es oro y la pintura ni hablar”, comentó uno. “Yo vivo en España y todavía tengo la manía de guardarlas”, añadió otra usuaria. Las reacciones, en su mayoría, celebran la capacidad de los cubanos para reutilizar y dar múltiples vidas a cualquier objeto.
Among the numerous responses, there are plenty of personal memories and everyday situations shared by Cubans both on and off the island. "I keep them because I feel sorry throwing them away," confessed one user, while another recalled, "They have a great lid for storing rice." An internet user named Minerva Pellicer reminisced with laughter: "That's right, teacher, and if you lent it, you'd say: 'bring back the bucket!'"
Others mentioned creative uses: "To prepare cold salads at big birthday parties," said one user. "It accompanied me throughout my medical career, one made of ivory," wrote another. There was even someone who noted the decorative ingenuity: "It gets wrapped in gift paper and becomes a pot to adorn the porch."
The nostalgic character was also evident in phrases like: "My memories are my mother's memories... She never throws anything away. A post-war child, from the countryside and necessity," or "When you have little, anything is a treasure."
From other latitudes, the phenomenon is also understood: "I say the same thing here in Italy... I tell my colleagues at work and they look at me as if I were lying." Another person quipped, "For beer, man," while someone else wrapped it up with a typical scene from rural Cuba: "To feed the pigs. I cried over them, went to get them from the works, and had to wrangle them."
This testimony adds to other videos published by the same creator, in which he contrasts life in Spain with the hardships endured on the island. In April, for instance, he shared a reflection from a hardware store about how the abundance of tools makes him think of his grandfather, who in Cuba would collect screws and nails from the street due to the inability to buy them. “I think of my mother and my grandfather,” he said then, visibly moved.
The phenomenon of reusing items is not new among Cubans and has been widely documented on social media. Recent cases include a family recently arrived in the United States that washed and recycled everything from baking trays to plastic bottles, or the Venezuelan husband who recounted how his Cuban wife transforms all jars and containers into reusable vessels, which leads to household confusion regarding their contents.
In November last year, a Cuban woman in Miami humorously summarized this reality: “In Cuban households, a towel dies and a mop cloth is born.” And in January of this year, another young woman in Spain recounted how a blouse she wore at 16 was still being worn by her sister, thirteen years later, as a testament to the lifecycle of clothing in Cuba.
These stories, blending humor, nostalgia, and social commentary, reflect a common thread among those who have emigrated: the contrast between abundance and scarcity, but also the enduring memory of the island and the ingenuity developed to survive its shortcomings.
Frequently Asked Questions about Reuse and Nostalgia of Cubans Abroad
Why is an empty bucket considered "ground gold" in Cuba?
In Cuba, an empty bucket is considered "milled gold" due to its versatility and scarcity of resources. Cubans reuse these buckets for multiple purposes, such as storing water for cooking or bathing, which reflects the creativity and ingenuity required to cope with shortages on the island.
How do Cubans abroad react to the abundance of products?
Many Cubans abroad experience a stark contrast when they find products that are hard to come by in Cuba. This generates feelings of nostalgia and reflection on the shortages experienced in their homeland. Often, these encounters with Cuban products in other countries reinforce the memory and ingenuity developed on the island.
What does the reuse of everyday objects symbolize for Cubans?
For Cubans, the reuse of everyday objects symbolizes not only an economic necessity but also an act of creativity and resilience in the face of scarcity. Transforming common objects into useful tools demonstrates the adaptability and ingenuity of the Cuban people, which is widely celebrated both on and off the island.
What feelings does the scarcity in Cuba generate among emigrants?
The scarcity in Cuba elicits feelings of nostalgia and reflection among emigrated Cubans. Many nostalgically recall the everyday strategies for survival, such as reusing objects and sharing resources. At the same time, they feel indignation and sadness over the ongoing needs of their compatriots on the island.
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