9/11’s Many Griefs Span America 25 Years Later

Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, their effects remain visible in Americans’ security practices, surveillance policies and collective memory, but the meaning of 9/11 varies widely across generations, communities and personal experiences. Those who lost loved ones, worked at Ground Zero, served in the ensuing wars or grew up after 2001 often understand the tragedy and its consequences differently. Younger Americans increasingly encounter 9/11 as history, while others continue to confront lasting health, emotional and family effects. The attacks briefly united the country, but the wars, political decisions and social tensions that followed produced additional grief and disagreement. The anniversary also prompts reflection on religious life and the growth of Muslim communities in the United States, as well as continuing concerns about antisemitism, Islamophobia and polarization.