A visual history
Based on the book by Rigoberto Menéndez Paredes
A centuries-long story of migration, culture, and identity — from the shores of Al-Andalus to the streets of Havana.
Chapter one
Arabic entities ruled or had a presence in the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years until their final expulsion in 1492 at the hands of the Christian kingdoms of Castile and Aragon.
A visible legacy of the Arab influence on Cuba are the buildings constructed mostly in the 17th century, in which the forms and techniques of the so-called "Mudéjar" dominated the architectural landscape at the time.
This Arabic-influenced style, meaning "tamed" or "domesticated," was practiced by builders and craftsmen in Spain and applied to many elements of Islamic arts, sometimes combined with Christian elements.
In the Cuban case, the use of this style was not an intentional attempt to take Arabic building as a model, but was rather the popular architecture in which the Spanish builders and craftsmen immigrating to the island had been trained in.
| Spanish | Transliteration | English | Arabic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hasta | Hatta | Until | حتى |
| Almohada | Almohada | Pillow | مخدة |
| Azúcar | Sucar | Sugar | السكر |
| Aceit | Azeit | Oil | زيت |
| Aceituna | Azeitun | Olive | زيتون |
| Tasa | Tasa | Cup | طاسة |
| Café | Qahwa | Coffee | قهوة |
| Ojalá | Inshallah | Hopefully | إن شاء الله |
| Among many others… | |||
Chapter two
Most Arabs emigrated to Cuba right after the First World War as the Ottoman Empire was collapsing and the colonial rule of Greater Syria by France and the United Kingdom was beginning.
It was at this time that the Cuban immigration census accounted for Arabs as distinct people from Turks.
"They came with little more than the clothes on their backs and the languages of two worlds in their mouths."— Placeholder quote, replace with source
Chapter three
Many Arabs began establishing their businesses and institutions, most concentrating in pockets in areas around Centro Habana and Habana Vieja.
Placeholder text for the Social Structure chapter. Replace with content from the book about how Arab-Cuban communities organized themselves, their commercial activities, clubs, newspapers, and religious institutions.
Additional paragraph about the role of Calle Monte and the concentration of Arab-owned businesses along key commercial corridors in central Havana.
Discussion of the social networks, mutual aid societies, and the transmission of culture across generations of Arab-Cubans.
Chapter four
Arab-Cubans formed as a notable ethnic group throughout the country; their economic activity earned them a good reputation and provided success for their community.
Placeholder text for the Collective Identity chapter. Replace with content about how Arab-Cuban identity was maintained, transformed, and ultimately woven into Cuban national culture over the 20th century.
Discussion of language, religion, cuisine, music, and the gradual but never complete assimilation of Arab communities into Cuban society.