A Cuban resident in Canada went viral on TikTok with a clip that uses irony to champion the values of the Cuban community abroad: Leisys Ch Machado (@leisys.chm) posted the video on July 30 with a warning that turns out to be quite the opposite.
"Look, I'm going to give you some advice: wherever you live, don't associate with Cubans. Seriously, stay away from those people unless you're ready to face the consequences," starts the 1 minute and 26-second clip.
What follows is a warm and humorous list of reasons why it’s worth mingling: the coffee offered to you by strangers, the invitation to play dominoes or have a drink, and the family you end up becoming a part of without having planned it.
"No get involved with a Cuban if you don't like feeling part of something. The Cuban makes anyone feel special and at home," says Leisys in the video, which gathered 11,000 views, 832 likes, and 133 comments in just a few days.
The central message directly addresses a stereotype that circulates within the diaspora: the idea that Cubans destroy each other.
"It's time to change our mindset and let go of the lie that we destroy each other. We come from where we come from, yes, but today we are here to support each other and fight all the bad vibes," the author wrote in the video description.
The creator connects Cuban solidarity with the experience of scarcity lived on the island: "We've gone through a lot of needs, and that taught us to innovate. A Cuban can take a hot nail and turn it into a makeshift car. We never give up."
It also asserts joy as an identity trait: "When it comes to guaracha, girl, there are no happier people than the Cubans themselves." And it concludes with the saying that summarizes the attitude in the face of adversity: "In bad times, keep a good face. And from a young age, we've learned to find the sweet side of life."
The video was tagged with #cubanosporelmundo, #cubanosencanada, #solidaridad, and #vivacubalibre, placing it within the realm of content related to the Cuban diaspora in Canada, a community estimated to comprise between 18,920 and 29,000 individuals primarily concentrated in Toronto and Montreal.
The clip by Leisys is part of a sustained trend during 2025 and 2026: Cuban creators in the diaspora are publishing content that reaffirms their identity in response to criticisms or stereotypes about their community. In May 2026, a Cuban tired of comparisons with other Latinos accumulated over 61,900 views in less than 24 hours; in April, a Cuban in Ontario with her country's flag gathered 19,600 views while calling for a free Cuba.
The format of the inverted ironic warning is one of the most effective resources on TikTok for discussing cultural pride, and in the Cuban case, it resonates with values that the diaspora recognizes as their own: hospitality, resilience, humor, and generosity forged through decades of scarcity.
"A little coffee and a helping hand will never be in short supply. The sun rises for everyone," concludes Leisys in the video description.
Filed under: