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Alejandro Terry, a Cuban doctor based in Dubai, published a testimony about the eight worst pieces of advice he received before leaving Cuba, which, according to him, cost him "months of troubles" during his migration process.
Terry, son of the former director of the official newspaper Granma, emigrated in February 2022 to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to fulfill a work contract. A graduate in Medicine from the University of Medical Sciences of Havana in 2018, he often shares his experience on his social media.
“Before leaving Cuba, everyone had something to say to me. Family, friends, neighbors, the one who emigrated ten years ago and the one who has never left the neighborhood but still shares their opinion. And I, with my head full of plans and filled with fear, absorbed it all like a sponge,” he wrote on Facebook.
The first piece of advice that he identifies as harmful is "work anywhere and do anything." According to Terry, accepting any job without discretion erodes self-esteem: "When you accept anything, you send a very clear message to your brain: I am not worth what I am worth. And that is not humility. It is erosion."
The second is "go out and walk around, delivering your resume," which he describes as outdated and psychologically damaging: "The most harmful aspect of this advice is not that it is outdated. It's what it implies psychologically: that you are a beggar for opportunities."
The third, "save the first year, then you can enjoy," hides what he describes as a brutal trap: "The first year in a new country is the most emotionally fertile year you will have. Your sensitivity is heightened. Everything impacts you. Everything teaches you."
The fourth piece of advice, "don't share your plans, people are envious of you," is directly attributed to Cuban idiosyncrasy: "This advice comes straight from a culture of fear. And I understand where it comes from. In Cuba, sometimes remaining silent was a way to protect oneself. But outside, that logic brutally isolates you."
The fifth is "learn the language when you arrive, you'll force yourself there." Terry arrived in Dubai with functional English and emphasizes that this made a decisive difference: "Language is not just communication. It is identity in the new context. It is the difference between existing and participating."
The sixth one, "don’t spend on yourself, wait until you are stable," according to him, holds back investment in courses and certifications: "When you postpone investing in yourself, what you are really saying is: I still don’t believe I am capable. And that belief, not the money, is what holds you back."
The seventh is "stay silent at first, observe," which in her opinion leads to invisibility in the job market.
And the eighth, "send money from the first month," can sink the migrant before they have stabilized: "First, you have to be on your own feet. Completely on your own feet. Only then can you support others."
Terry's testimony is set against the backdrop of the largest exodus in modern Cuban history, a phenomenon that particularly affects professionals in the health, education, and engineering sectors.
Terry concluded his post with a reflection that sums up his entire experience: "No one gave me that advice. I discovered it myself, sometimes by intuition, sometimes by stumble."
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