Immigration
Cuban man celebrates his 'first U.S. paycheck' as a UPS driver—here's the video!
Since Yoel Díaz came from Cuba, his wife Marissa Díaz has documented his experiences in the U.S., including the moment he received his first paycheck from his job
November 17, 2022 11:32am
Updated: November 18, 2022 8:57am
Since Yoel Díaz came to the United States from Cuba, his wife Marissa Díaz has been documenting some of his key experiences in this country.
The videos include his first trip to a grocery store, the first time he walked into a Wal-Mart, and, most recently, the first time he received a paycheck from his first job in the United States.
The happy moment his wife captured and posted on Instagram has been viewed there more than three million times.
"It was a very special moment for him," Marissa Diaz of Pheonix, Arizona, told Fox News Digital about her husband.
Yoel Diaz, 37, started a seasonal job at United Parcel Service (UPS) a few weeks ago, his wife said.
"Everything was new to him [like] applying, he didn't know what a resume was. The job interview, everything," he said.
Yoel Diaz arrived in the United States in 2021 on a K1 visa and then applied for residency.
Once approved, he obtained a work authorization form and a Social Security number. The whole process took about a year, said Marissa.
In Cuba, Yoel worked as a teacher earning $13 a month.
His current paycheck with UPS pays more than $13 per month, but his wife said that to him, it means much more than the actual money.
"For the first time, he has the opportunity to dream," his wife said.
Yoel echoed his wife's thoughts, saying that his paycheck meant he would "finally get a chance to improve" his life.
"In Cuba, you get a paycheck and you know you will never get more," Yoel Diaz told Fox News Digital in a statement in Spanish, which his wife translated into English.
"It would be the same. This time, I can finally dream: I can help my family and this is the first step in my new life where I can be whoever I want to be now."
When asked about his dreams for his future as he continues to live in the United States, Yoel Diaz said, "My dream is to be able to support myself and my family. I want to support my wife's dream of storytelling and I would love to travel the country and the world to discover that.”
"[That's] something the Cuban dictatorship never allowed me to do,” he added.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a UPS representative said, "This story really touches us and we are happy to have Yoel on our team."
