Youth who were school-aged at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks are often called part of the '9/11 generation.' One group of young people who live 3,000 miles away from New York and Washington, D.C., in Clovis, Calif., sat down with the NewsHour to talk about the effect the attacks of 10 years ago had on their lives.
Many of the students said they had enlisted in the armed services themselves or had friends who did so as a result of the events of 9/11. Others had their career choices impacted by 9/11 in other ways; one of the students wants to teach Middle East history to increase understanding between Arab and American cultures. Most of the young people interviewed said they experienced the events of 9/11 through family members, since they were themselves too young to completely understand what was happening.
Although they agree that it has affected their generation in profound ways, some of the young people interviewed said more immediate issues are shaping their generation now, such as high unemployment and a high national debt.
Quotes
"I don’t see this as being the only thing my generation is remembered for or known as." - Brandon Robla, Clovis, Calif.
"I was worried that there were going to be more attacks, that this wasn't going to be an isolated event." - Kristin Torres, Clovis, Calif.
"For a lot of my graduating class, a large percentage of them immediately went off to boot camp and started serving in the military." - Alyssa Stemler, Clovis, Calif.
Warm Up Questions
1. Where were you when you heard about the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001?
2. Name three ways in which you think your life is different today because of the 9/11 attacks.
3. Do you consider yourself part of the 9/11 generation? Why or why not?
Discussion Questions
1. Which young person in this video did you most identify with? Why?
2. Did you especially agree with anything these young people had to say? Disagree? Why?
3. Why do you think the NewsHour chose to spotlight young people in this California town? How do you think young people where you live are similar to or different from these young people as a result of the environment they grew up in?
Additional Resources
NewsHour Extra Video Quilt: Youth Remember 9/11
Youth Reporters Reflect on 9/11 Anniversary
