This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Dearborn Youth on 9/11: If We Don't Fight Stereotypes, Who Will?

Ten years since the 9/11 tragedy, Arab-American and Muslim young adults grapple with the need to defend themselves against prejudices they can't control.

Young adults today remember Sept. 11, 2001—but not with the clarity of adults who knew what was happening when the World Trade Center buildings were hit 10 years ago this month.

"I thought someone said it was a train station," says 21-year-old student Ryssul Al-Shimary, who was in seventh grade at the time of the tragedy. "People were being pulled out of class, and I didn't understand until a few days afterward."

But while youth couldn't fully comprehend what was happening then, it has affected them profoundly in the 10 years since—particularly those who are Muslim and Arab-American. They've grappled with issues—prejudice, terrorism, hatred, fear—far beyond their years. And they've felt the aftermath in ways they could never have anticipated as they sat in elementary or middle school 10 years ago.

Find out what's happening in Dearbornwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Standing on the cusp of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Dearborn Patch talked with local teens and college students about where they were, what they understood then, and how 9/11 has affected them ever since.

Download the movie

Find out what's happening in Dearbornwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?