"The Cuban, no matter how messed up they are, no matter how tight things seem, will always, always but always find a way to survive." With these words, creator Katherine Hurtado (@katyy_hurtado) captured in just 22 seconds what millions of Cubans inside and outside the island feel as their most defining trait, in a video posted yesterday on TikTok that quickly generated reactions of collective pride.
Hurtado concluded his message with a phrase that serves almost as a manifesto: "The Cuban will never become stagnant, never remain on the ground; they will always get back up and always find a way to move forward." The video's description states it bluntly: "Cubans are going to fight for a long time."
The video is not an isolated case. It is part of a sustained phenomenon on social media where Cuban creators from the diaspora proudly and emotionally document stories of overcoming that are repeated across all five continents. A Cuban truck driver in Miami who took on family support after her husband's deportation gathered thousands of reactions with the message: “My husband is deported. Me: don’t worry, my love, I’ll take care of it.”
The pattern repeats itself in different countries and circumstances. A Cuban nurse turned manicurist in Uruguay defended her decision to emigrate with a phrase that resonated with thousands of users: "Uruguay gave me the possibilities to have a better life." Meanwhile, a Cuban with precarious immigration status in the United States posted a message that went viral stating: "It doesn't matter how you got here or what your status is, what matters is not giving up."
This type of content generates comments like "Cubans are on another level" or "that's how we are," reinforcing a narrative of resilient identity that connects generations and geographies under a shared cultural pride. Other creators have demanded respect for Cuban identity beyond clichés, while stories of Cuban entrepreneurs in Spain and Cubans who define their character with pride continue to gain followers on digital platforms.
The backdrop of these reflections is the largest migration crisis in recent Cuban history. Between 2021 and 2024, nearly 1.79 million people left the island, and the country ended 2024 with only 8.025 million inhabitants, a migration rate of -25.4 per thousand, with more deaths than births. The diaspora has been redistributing globally: while arrivals in the United States dropped by 80% in 2025 due to changes in immigration policy, Brazil nearly doubled its requests for Cuban asylum.
Far from home, scattered around the world, Cubans find in videos like Hurtado's a reflection of their own history. "My Race," the powerful message of a Cuban about struggle and overcoming, encapsulates what many feel: that adversity does not define them, but how they face it does.
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