For the Cuban Giselle Vargas and her family, leaving Miami did not mean taking a step back, but rather getting closer to a dream that they had long wanted to make a reality: to have their own land, build a home, and develop a family business.
That project began to take shape with the purchase of 24 acres of land in northern Florida, where they are establishing Golden Pastures Farm, a farm dedicated to raising pasture-raised chickens.
In a video posted on Instagram, Vargas shared details about this new chapter and explained the reasons that led his family to leave Miami, a city that, far from being a negative experience, was crucial for moving forward toward their goals.
"We moved because we had a much bigger dream: to buy our own land, establish our home, and grow our family business," he said.
The decision was not driven by an economic failure, but by the need to find a place where they could develop the project they had envisioned.
"Miami gave us many opportunities, but the business we wanted to create needed more space," the entrepreneur explained.
Their focus is on the production of pasture-raised chickens, an activity that requires large areas of land for the animals to roam and feed outdoors.
With Golden Pastures Farm, the family aims to build something of their own, develop an economic activity, and offer quality products, all while establishing a home connected to farm work.
The Cuban also wanted to clarify the interpretations that circulated on social media after a previous video was shared with a message suggesting that her life in Miami had been a failure.
“They took a video of mine and put a spin on it that seems straight out of a Castro propaganda,” Vargas stated, rejecting the use of his story to present a negative image of Cubans trying to succeed in the United States.
However, beyond the controversy, their message focused on the opportunities they have found to build the future they desire alongside their family.
For Giselle, who was born in Cuba, the ability to choose where to live, purchase land, and start a business holds special significance, precisely because of the limitations in her home country: "I greatly value the ability to decide where to invest, what to build, and how to start a business. Opportunities that we know are limited in Cuba."
His reflection highlights a difference that he considers essential: the ability to make decisions about his life and to change the course of his family based on his own aspirations: “We didn't leave Miami fleeing from failure. Here we have the freedom to choose many things that we cannot in Cuba.”
"We want to show that behind a good product there is much more than just a price: there is a family, a story, and a commitment to doing things right," Giselle concluded.
For this Cuban family, success did not necessarily mean staying in Miami, but rather having the freedom to leave and build the life they dreamed of.
Vargas's story also reflects how the life projects of some Cuban immigrants evolve after settling in the United States. Miami may be the starting point, but it is not necessarily the final destination.
Cuban migration within the United States has undergone changes, with families seeking opportunities in other cities and regions where they can access housing, land, or more favorable conditions to develop their projects.
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