"Nothing like returning to the arms of...": The video that has many Cubans in tears

A Cuban expatriate shared an emotional reunion with her sister, nieces, and father on TikTok after just three days in Cuba, touching the hearts of thousands.



Reunion in CubaPhoto © @analeyisosmar / TikTok

A Cuban émigré shared on TikTok the touching moment of her return to Cuba and her reunion with family, in a 57-second video that has moved thousands of fellow compatriots both on the island and abroad.

“Nothing like returning to the arms of your sister, nieces, and dad,” wrote the protagonist, identified on the platform as @analeyisosmar, while describing the clip published on May 14.

The visit lasted only three days, but she described it as the best of her life: "They were just three days, but the best of my life. I love my family."

The video shows the embrace and reunion with his sister, his nieces, and his father, accompanied by a song whose lyrics seem to have been written for the moment: "My treasure lies in the roots that run beneath my skin. They define my texture, and those same roots make me different until the grave."

The scene is not isolated. Since 2025, TikTok has become the space where the Cuban diaspora documents their reunions, creating a sustained viral trend that serves as collective catharsis for millions of separated families.

In the weeks leading up to this video, similar cases were reported: a son welcomed at the airport after four years of separation, published on May 8, and another emotional reunion after three years revealed last Wednesday.

On April 22, a mother reunited with her daughter after six years in a video that exceeded 250,000 views, highlighting the emotional impact of this type of content.

All of these clips share the same elements: crying, hugs, surprise, and years of accumulated distance.

The phenomenon has deep roots in the Cuban migration crisis. Between 2021 and 2024, approximately 1.79 million people left Cuba, driven by the economic crisis, chronic blackouts, shortages of food and medicine, and the political repression of the regime.

As of 2024, 38% of Cuban families had at least one member living outside the country, according to data from the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

That reality turns every return —even if it's just for three days— into an event of such emotional intensity that it resonates with millions of Cubans who see their own history of separation reflected in those images.

The video by @analeyisosmar accurately illustrates what that statistic means in human terms: a fleeting moment that is nevertheless enough to remind us that family bonds endure through the years, distance, and everything that emigration imposes.

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Yare Grau

Originally from Cuba, but living in Spain. I studied Social Communication at the University of Havana and later graduated in Audiovisual Communication from the University of Valencia. I am currently part of the CiberCuba team as an editor in the Entertainment section.

Yare Grau

Originally from Cuba, but living in Spain. I studied Social Communication at the University of Havana and later graduated in Audiovisual Communication from the University of Valencia. I am currently part of the CiberCuba team as an editor in the Entertainment section.