9 Cuban-American-Owned Brands Serving Beauty, Style & Culture

I grew up in Union City, New Jersey, which sometimes gets referred to as “Little Havana on the Hudson.” It’s home to one of the biggest Cuban communities outside of Miami, thanks to waves of Cuban immigrants who settled there over the decades. Walking around, you see it in restaurants like Dos Amigos (where the only thing on the menu is a pan con bistec), the way the Cuban flag flies right below the U.S. one around town, and in the Celia Cruz Plaza on 32nd street. So it’s no wonder that anytime I go home, I have to grab a Cuban sandwich, Cuban links have always been part of my necklace stack, and even my Colombian dad will casually drop an “asere” around his coworkers.

That magnetism is what makes Cuban culture so distinct. With about 1.5 million Cuban Americans across the U.S., their culture quietly (or not so quietly) influences what we see, wear, and experience every day. If you’re looking to support Cuban fashion, try mojo-inspired sauces, or discover more Cuban American-owned businesses worth backing, here are some you should definitely check out.