9/11 memories may be receding after 25 years

Friday marks 25 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. The country is now grappling with how to pass on to younger generations information about the tragedy and the societal changes that followed.

The Pew Research Center says 10 percent of American adults were born after 2001.

In an August poll that asked people how they first learned about the terror attacks, 16 percent of respondents aged 18 to 24 said they heard about the events from family members or friends. Eight percent said that they learned about the attacks on their own by either reading or watching something.

In contrast, 60 percent said that they learned about the events through school classes or assignments.

Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher is an advanced senior lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. In April, she organized an event to encourage students and educators to reflect on the US in the post-9/11 period.

The Pakistan-born Muslim scholar says the tragedy significantly changed the way she thinks and lives.

She said that, in general, young people are not taught much about the terrorist attacks. She said that they know there is a day of silence, but that some of them do not understand how the attacks continue to impact the lives of people in the US.

Ghaffar-Kucher noted that young people see the wars following the 9/11 attacks as things that happened far away.

She said most people do not know where Afghanistan and Iraq are, cannot find them on a map, and do not understand the true costs of those wars. She added that this is because people do not talk about the attacks, learn about them, or teach others.

Ghaffar-Kucher noted that the 25 years since 2001 account for 10 percent of the 250-year history of the US, which was founded in 1776.

She argues there are few textbooks and other materials that cover this part of US history. She said that she will continue to encourage younger generations to think about the period.