Growing Up in a Post-9/11 World

A decade ago, I had just turned ten years old.  I had heard the term “terrorism” before, but always thought it was something that only happened in other parts of the world or in the past.  On September 11^th, 2001, that all changed.  That morning, I awoke to a new world, the one that has encompassed the lives of my peers and me for the past decade.

I had only begun paying attention to politics during the election the year before, but all of a sudden, I felt as if current events were dictating my every day.  When I flew east to visit my grandparents, they no longer could pick us up at the gate.  When I took the bus to school, I no longer felt as safe alone.  When I watched the news, sometimes the reports would bring me to tears.

That day instilled in our youthful minds either a strong sense of patriotism or a deep fear of the unknown.  Fortunately, I developed the former and deplored the latter.  Classmates began to make anti-Muslim jokes, but at 10 years old, I was unsure how to explain that those made me uncomfortable.  I saw the attacks as a way for us to bond together, not as a way to exclude parts of our communities.

However, many of those students who at first developed fear and anger eventually transformed their response into either a strong interest in foreign affairs and international relations, or American civil liberties and the struggle for security; many joined Model United Nations or debate teams.  A moment in which I saw a turn from fear to acceptance was when an Arab friend of mine was voted onto my high school’s the Homecoming court.  Some other students began to recognize eventually that labeling others as enemies was not desirable  and that we would have to work together to find security without compromising our values.

Growing up in the post-9/11 world, I felt the need to contribute and become involved.  I started out college as an International Studies major, determined to work in groups and organizations that would make a difference in the world.  Although I eventually changed majors, as most students do, I continued to focus on human rights, politics, and law, society, and justice.

My peers and I have found our ways into society – working in fields that support our values, from diplomacy to justice.  The past decade has not just shaped our generation, but has shown it to be one full of individuals willing to fight for our ideals.