A Cuban resident in Miami documented her young son's first trip to Cuba on TikTok, and the video became an emotional and unfiltered portrait of what it means to take a child raised in the United States to discover his roots on the island.
Aleana Torres (@aleanatorres5) posted a one-minute and 47-second summary of her trip on Wednesday, humorously and emotionally recounting the six days she spent in Cuba with her son Keyler, who was born and raised in Miami.
The story begins on the plane, where the boy slept throughout the journey, and continues with the first real image of the island: "As we were entering Cuba, the power was already out, we were waiting for the bags, and he was already with his little fan," Aleana recounts in the clip.
Far from being a problem, the blackout was merely the first detail of a Cuba that the young boy accepted with complete ease. "Forget about the streets, that's how all of Cuba is, but he's super chill about it, to be honest," says the mother, encapsulating in one sentence the child's attitude towards the island's visible decline.
Among the moments that Aleana highlights is the reunion with her extended family: her grandfather took her out for walks, her older sister accompanied her everywhere, and a cousin played a central role. "This is my cousin, and she was like his mom for the six days we were in Cuba. She never let him go," she recounts.
Keyler also experienced his first time in the sea during that trip. "I had never bathed him here at the beach, so I decided to do it in Cuba. He took three consecutive baths and loved it," says Aleana, who describes her son as someone who "seems like a big kid who has always been there."
The most Cuban details of the trip were not lacking: the "tremendous flycatcher" that came from picking up trash became a delightful novelty for the child, who amused himself by catching flies while the adults laughed.
At the end of the video, Aleana summarizes what mattered most to her from the entire experience: "It was what I enjoyed the most about this trip to Cuba, that he could be surrounded by his whole family, his cousins, and everyone, and that he could live this experience."
The video is part of a viral trend among emigrated Cubans who document their children's first trip to the island to connect them with their roots and family. In July 2026, Ismery Salazar took her 15-month-old daughter to Cuba, and her video garnered over 26,400 views. Other mothers who cannot travel due to their immigration status choose to send their children alone with trusted relatives.
The return to Miami wrapped up the story with Keyler "upset," but Aleana has no doubts about the balance: "It was a fantastic trip, really. I loved it; I loved that he experienced this."
In the video description, the mother left a phrase that encapsulates the essence of the entire journey: "One day, Keyler will see these videos and understand how special this trip was for his mom."
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