Oral history interview with Sam J. Kahl and Zaki J. Kahl, 1988 September 6

This oral history interview with Sam Kahl and Zaki Kahl was conducted by Robert J. Gassner in Portland, Oregon, on September 6, 1988. The interview was one of a series conducted in 1988 by Oregon Historical Society volunteer Robert Gassner with members of the Syrian and Lebanese community in Portland, Oregon.

In this interview, the Kahl brothers discuss their family background, including their distant relation to Oregon Governor Vic Atiyeh and the life of their uncle, S.A. Kahl. They describe the experience of immigrating to the United States and how they came to settle in Portland, Oregon, in the mid-20th century. They talk about the Syrian and Lebanese community in Portland, including the activities of the Syrian Orthodox Church and the Syrian Lebanese American Club. They speak about the religious faith of people in Syria. They also briefly discuss how the independence of Lebanon in 1948, and the creation of Israel, affected the Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian communities. They close the interview by talking about Syrian- and Lebanese-owned businesses in Portland.