A humorous sketch posted on Instagram by Cuban comedians @alfredito_locura and @mirabalhumor, ignited the debate among the Cuban diaspora by featuring two female characters: one Cuban settled in Spain and another in Miami, each defending her choice of destination with arguments that thousands of emigrants identify with.
The reel garnered thousands of likes and hundreds of comments, and the reason for its success is simple: it highlights real differences between two lifestyles that divide the Cuban community abroad.
The Cuban in Spain starts off with a challenging question: "Girl, what Miami are you talking about? Here in Spain, you can walk wherever you want." Her rival in Miami doesn't hold back: "Girl, I even drive my car to throw out the trash here in Miami."
The exchange about the cost of food summarizes the economic difference in a single line: "Here with just 3 euros, you can have breakfast. Well, here with 3 dollars, you can only look at breakfast."
The Cuban in Spain boasts about Iberian ham, paella on Sundays, and the metro to get around, although the character from Miami interrupts her with talk of air conditioning, churrasco, and the condominium pool. But the most striking punch comes at the end of the sketch, when the labor contrast is laid bare: “Here you finish working and disconnect from the world,” says the Cuban in Spain. “Here you finish working and start your second job,” adds the Cuban in Miami.
That last line resonates with the documented reality of many Cubans in Miami, where a small room can cost $1,600 per month, and modest apartments exceed $2,000, in a county that is more than 20% above the national average cost of living.
Spain is not the seamless paradise depicted by the character in the video. The unemployment rate for immigrants is high, with 80% of Cubans in that country earning less than 1,500 euros per month, and 54% of university graduates working in jobs below their qualifications.
The comments on the video reflect this nuanced debate. Several users declare themselves "Team España" but acknowledge that living in Europe also requires two salaries to get by. One of the more extensive comments warns: "You need two salaries to survive and share a flat with someone, because you can't do it alone (just like there, in the U.S.)."
Other users with experience in both destinations attempt a synthesis: "I have lived 15 years in Miami and 8 in Sweden. You can live well anywhere if you know how." And one summarizes the philosophy that seems to tip the scale towards Europe: "You work to live. You don't live to work."
There are those who take the comparison further: "Making money in the USA; living relaxed, even without money, only in Spain. Everyone can choose what they prefer." And someone who reconsidered their stay in Miami after decades: "I lived in Spain for 30 years and I wouldn't trade the USA for Spain, not even if I were paid. When I retire, yes, but for Italy."
Amid all the debates about destinations, one comment captures the sole point of unanimous agreement among Cubans in the diaspora: "Life is better anywhere than in Cuba."
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