A Cuban known on TikTok as "la china" (@karenmariaprez) shared a video of her packing her bags to travel to Cuba with a soundtrack that transforms the logistical moment into a declaration of love and commitment to the island: the song "11 de julio" by El Chacal, one of the anthems of the Cuban exile community.
The video, published on August 22, lasts one minute and 15 seconds and showcases the packing process under the hashtags #reencuentro, #reencuentrodefamilia, #equipaje, and #viajeacuba.
As the TikToker organizes her luggage, the lyrics of the song fill the air with lines like "It's 90 miles, I see you so close and yet so far" and "How Cuba hurts me, you're dying on me," concluding with the chorus "Free, I want you free, I love you Cuba."
The choice of that soundtrack is not coincidental: it transforms a video of suitcases into an act of identity, nostalgia, and political awareness regarding the situation facing the island.
This is not the first time Karen María has documented this type of preparation. In December 2025, she had already published a similar video featuring dozens of products organized on the floor: food, hygiene items, medications, supplements, sweets, and gifts for her relatives in Cuba.
The phenomenon is part of a viral trend that has been established on TikTok since 2024 and has intensified in the last two years: Cubans abroad—especially in the United States—document the process of packing their suitcases as a ritual filled with emotion, stress, and family solidarity.
Given the severe crisis of shortages that Cuba is experiencing, with chronic shortages of food, medicine, and basic products, the suitcases of emigrants become a sort of humanitarian mission for those who remain on the island.
In August 2025, another Cuban in the United States showcased her purchases for her return to the island, and in October of the same year, a third individual shared purchases of yogurts and baby food exceeding 100 dollars to take to Cuba, a video that also went viral.
The most common items that Cubans in the diaspora include in their suitcases are non-perishable food, medications, personal hygiene products, and gifts for their families.
Family reunions also highlight another parallel trend on TikTok: the emotional return of a young woman to Cuba after years of separation has touched thousands of users in recent days, reflecting the massive Cuban emigration of recent years and the impact that separation leaves on families.
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