A Cuban resident in Spain named Linet posted a video on TikTok last Friday in which she dismantles the idealized image of the "European dream" that circulates on social media and delivers a direct message to her compatriots thinking about emigrating: life in Spain requires hard work, and no one will solve their problems for them.
"Today I come to tell you a truth about the famous European dream that no one tells you," Linet begins in the video, which in just a few days has accumulated over 10,400 views, 402 likes, and 71 comments.
Linet's central message directly addresses the distortion created by social media: emigrants post pictures of a breakfast at a café or a special outing, which creates the illusion that this is how life is always lived.
"Don't come with the mindset that euros grow on trees and that you're going to have a little job that will provide for everything," he warns.
The Cuban woman acknowledges that she herself has two or three simultaneous jobs to cover all her expenses and urges her compatriots to come with the same readiness: "Come with your pants on, with your energy, with your overalls, with your underwear, wearing your briefs properly to have two or three jobs like me."
Despite the warning tone, Linet does not speak from a place of complaint but from gratitude. "I am incredibly grateful because since I arrived here, I have had work, and the truth is that I came here to work, not to want to live like the Spaniards here," she notes.
It also explains why there is this difference between the immigrant and the Spaniard who "can afford" it: local generations inherit homes and heritage, while newcomers must start from scratch. "Since you're coming to a country that isn't yours, you have to work, and those who are already here can afford it," he summarizes.
The video by Linet is part of a growing trend of Cubans in Spain sharing realistic testimonials about emigration on TikTok, in contrast to the image of easy prosperity that dominates other posts.
In September 2025, a Cuban was already warning with a viral message that one should not leave Cuba unless the intention is to work hard. That same month, another video described emigrating as "a complete madness" unless arriving with the right mindset.
Magdiel Camejo, a Cuban in Galicia, reported from a scaffold in May 2025 that he earned 1,200 euros, which nearly all went towards rent, electricity, water, and food, although he acknowledged: "There is work here, hard work, but there is work."
The data supports the magnitude of the migration phenomenon: at least 35,200 Cubans emigrated to Spain during 2025, and the registered Cuban community in the country numbers around 287,490 people according to the National Institute of Statistics.
Linet closes her video with a warning that sums up everything mentioned earlier: "Everything they portray on social media isn't like that. If you're going to come, come with the mindset that you have to work and that no one is going to give you anything or solve your problems. If someone lends a hand, congratulations, but it won't be for four or five years; I'll leave that as an assignment for you."
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