This is the original version of an article written by Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi and published by The Arab magazine.

Cuba's recent leadership change - the first in almost half a century - has made headline news the world over. "What does this have to do with Arabs?" you might ask. Well, the Arab presence in Cuba is not confined to Guantanamo Bay.

In fact, the country's Arab community dates as far back as the 16th century. As in other parts of Latin America, Arab immigrants have come in waves at various times, mainly due to economic opportunity or strife in their countries of origin.

They "brought with them a reflection of their culture," and their "spirit is strongly felt in historic Old Havana," according to the website of the Cuban Embassy in Syria and Jordan. "One has only to observe the reconstructed palaces, their courtyards, balconies, grounds; in sum, their architecture. That also goes for the other parts of Cuba."

It adds: "When the sons and daughters of today's Arab countries visit us, they find those historic influences and a living presence of their humanity."

Its age and integration mean that it is difficult to know precisely how large the Arab community in Cuba is, but it was estimated in 2003 at some 50,000.

That might be a tiny minority in a country of over 11 million, but it has certainly left its mark. For example, Commandant Elias Touma, who fought in Cuba's war of independence against Spain, was originally from Lebanon. In the 1930s and 1940s, Arabs took part in the struggles against the Machado and Batista dictatorships.

"Cubans of Arab origin also fought in the battle for a socialist society," according to the Cuban Embassy. "One example was Captain Antonio Daud, who was Palestinian."

The Embassy highlights other Arab figures such as philosopher and teacher Gaspar García Galló; scientist Dr. Pedro Kourí Esmeja, a parasitologist who founded the Institute of Tropical Medicine which is now run by his son; and Fayad Jamis, born in 1930, a Palestinian known as "the poet of Playa Giron" and reportedly one of Cuba's greatest poets.

The renowned pianist and scholar of music and culture, Nola Sahig - who died in 1988 - founded numerous Cuban-Arab organisations.

Arabs have even made it into government. After the 1959 revolution, Alfredo Yabur became Minister of Justice, and Levi Farah became Minister of Construction.

Arabs in Cuba have also thrived in the field of business. "Working initially as day labourers, merchants and farmers, Arab immigrants in Cuba quickly began to establish more substantial businesses as silk and fabric traders, and some had hardware, jewellery and furniture stores or even importing and warehousing firms," says Susan Hurlich, a Canadian-American anthropologist who has been living and working in Cuba since 1992.

"By the 1950s, Arab merchants in Havana owned 10% of the fabric stores, constituting the second largest group represented in this sphere after Cuban Jews," she adds.

Even Arabic cooking is "alive" in the capital, according to the Cuban Embassy.

There are a few reasons attributed to the success of the Arab community's integration into its host country, apart from the fact that it is hundreds of years old and has actively taken part in all aspects of life there. This, by the way, is no different to Arab communities throughout Latin America that have integrated, thrived, contributed and been accepted.

"The majority of Arab immigrants in Cuba…easily learned Spanish and married a Cuban," says Hurlich. This explains the frequent occurrence of Cuban Arabs with names that are as Spanish as they are Arabic.

This inter-marriage may be facilitated by the fact that most of the Arab community there is Christian, though there is a significant Muslim minority who hold Friday Prayers in Casa de los Árabes ("The Arab House") in Old Havana.

The Arab House belonged to a wealthy Arab immigrant who lived in Cuba during the 1940s, and it was built on Andalusian architectural designs. The House encompasses an Arabic museum, an Arabic restaurant, and is used by Muslim diplomats. Qatar donated funds for its remodeling.

Integration may also have been helped by Cuba's foreign policy which, for example, supports the Arab cause vis-à-vis Israel as strongly as it opposed the invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq. Contrast this, for instance, with the alienation felt by Arab communities in the US and Britain due to foreign policies that are often seen as hostile.

Then there is the simple issue of hospitality shown by one's hosts. Indeed, the Arab experience in Latin America in many ways resembles that of Armenian communities in the Arab world.

So while we follow the news and implications of Cuba's leadership change, it is worth remembering that Arabs not only played a part in shaping the country's history, but they also have a direct stake in its future.