A brief, 24-second TikTok clip posted on Monday by Cuban Lisandra (@lisi.rodriguez3) starkly captures the emotional turmoil experienced by those leaving the island. It has resonated deeply with thousands of Cubans both within and outside the country.
Lisandra's TikTok video depicts a farewell scene set to a poignant song about separation and reunion, with lyrics that speak to the hope of rekindling love and embracing a new life: "And spring will bring your love, and a new life to learn, nothing will ever be the same again, when we meet once more."
In a candid comment, Lisandra articulated a sentiment that many feel but rarely voice so openly: "Everyone talks about the beautiful feeling when you arrive, but the feeling when you leave is awful."
This statement encapsulates a shared experience among countless Cuban families torn apart by migration, which explains why the video quickly amassed over 34,800 views and more than 1,000 reactions.
The phenomenon of departure and farewell videos is not isolated. In June, Camagüeyan Naila Verdecia shared a family farewell clip that garnered over 6,600 views and 334 reactions in just a few hours, along with the viral phrase "nobody talks about the moment you say goodbye to your loved ones in Cuba."
Back in April, a Cuban mother residing in the United States expressed a heart-wrenching goodbye to her son at Havana's bus station, lamenting, "I feel like the worst mother in the world because I have to leave him again."
Most recently, Raidel Ramírez's farewell video, originally recorded in 2023, resurfaced and surpassed 173,000 views, highlighting that the pain of leaving never truly fades.
Since 2025, TikTok has emerged as the primary platform for the collective catharsis of the Cuban diaspora, where farewells and reunions frequently go viral, sparking waves of empathy among Cubans worldwide.
The backdrop of these videos is Cuba's most significant migration crisis in recent history. Between 2021 and 2024, over 1.79 million Cubans left the island, bringing the effective population down to levels seen in the 1980s, with numbers ranging between 8.6 and 8.8 million.
In 2024 alone, an estimated 545,011 Cubans departed, and during the first four months of 2026, Cubans accounted for 58% of all asylum requests in Brazil, surpassing Venezuelans for the first time.
This anguish is known in Cuban culture as "el gorrión," a colloquial term for the migration grief process, which involves multiple losses—family, identity, support networks—and induces anxiety, guilt, and long-distance mourning both for those who leave and those who remain.
According to research on the Cuban exodus, 38% of Cuban families have at least one member living abroad, with separations often lasting between two and seven years.
Understanding the Cuban Diaspora's Emotional Struggle
What is the emotional impact on families separated by Cuban migration?
Families separated by Cuban migration experience a profound sense of loss and grief. This includes anxiety, guilt, and a mourning process known as "el gorrión," affecting both those who leave and those who stay.
How has TikTok played a role in the Cuban diaspora's experiences?
TikTok has become a key outlet for the Cuban diaspora to share their experiences of farewells and reunions, allowing these emotional moments to resonate widely and foster empathy among Cubans around the world.