On September 11th, we remember the 2001 devastating attacks on the twin towers that took so many lives from Staten Island, New York City, Pennsylvania, DC, and many other areas around our country. Our hearts go out to those who were lost, their friends, families, and everyone impacted by the trauma of that day and the months and years thereafter. We give thanks for the many dedicated people who serve our community every day and remember those lost with great love and appreciation for their bravery and dedication.
The young leaders of MAELS had not entered the world at the time of this tragic event in 2001 but continue to reflect on the impact that it has left on their communities. In Social Studies class, students explored the emotional impact that 9/11 had from the perspective of first responders as well as the perspectives of Muslim Americans and Arab Americans.
Devin from Crew 8E shared, “On September 11, 2001, two planes crashed into the Twin Towers. Everyone on the two planes died.”
“Most of the people who were in that building died too,” continued Jamila from Crew 8G. Some people jumped out of the building from very high up because they thought they would have a higher chance of surviving that way. ”
Ms. Conroy, a 7th grade ELA teacher, recalls her experience on September 11 twenty years ago.
“I was in 1st grade and we lived in downtown brooklyn,” shared Ms. Conroy. “I remember I was picked up early on that day. My mom asked me to put my shirt over my face because of all of the debris and dust that was falling from the sky. As a 5 year-old, I remember being so perplexed and confused about what was happening. There was so much paper falling from the sky. It was scary for sure.”
Teacher Wong is an 8th grade Social Studies teacher who is passionate about helping her students to develop socio political consciousness. This past week, she facilitated a lesson about the event of 9/11 with a unique lens.
“It was such a tragic event but I wanted to shed some light about this event from a different perspective,” shared Teacher Wong. “It’s important to me that all sides are considered and we uplift the voices that aren’t heard.”
In class, the young leaders discuss the bias, prejudice and discrimination that Muslim Americans and Arab Americans endured after the attack.
Devin shared, “Bias is when you favor something or someone over something or someone else.”
“Prejudice is when you choose the side that benefits your own,” added Aphelia from Crew 8H.
Community is one of the Core Values at MAELS. It can refer to a group of people coming together or the feeling of a sense of belonging.
“One of the things that come up a lot when 9/11 is discussed is the idea of community,” shared Teacher Wong. “People always say that the world really came together as a community after the attack. However, we always forget that one of the biggest communities that were left out were the Muslim Americans and Arab Americans. We forget that to this day, they are still being discriminated against. It was important to bring this community back into our conversations so that we can stop perpetuating stereotypes about the Muslim and Arab American community.”
“There was so much discrimination after 9/11 because Al-Qaeda, the extremist terrorist group responsible for the attack, were also Muslim,” shared Joe from Crew 8G. “People started to create ideas about the Muslim community and generalized it to every day civilians.”
“It’s ridiculous,” shared Rovan from Crew 8I. “Muslim Americans are just regular people who don’t have anything to do with what happened on that plane or during that day. They were just as scared as everyone else.”
Amro from Crew 8J identifies as a Muslim American and uses the term islamophobia to describe the discrimination his community faces.
“Islamophobia is when you don’t like Muslim people and you discriminate against them,” shared Amro. “Since 9/11, Muslim Americans have frequently been stereotyped as terrorists. It’s very hurtful because it’s not true. I’m just trying to get through 7th grade.”
“Every system has people within it that misrepresent what that system stands for, but those people who misrepresent the system should not lead us into spreading hate,” shared Ms. Abdelaziz, a 6th grade Math teacher. “It’s our job as good humans to make an effort to better understand what we don't know and ask questions when we are unsure.”
We acknowledge Muslim Americans, as well as other Arab Americans, who became targets of anger, racism and violence for years following. We send love to all New Yorkers and all Americans who were affected, in ways both big and small, by this tragic event.
We turn our grief into action. In the face of senseless violence and hate, we continue our work and teach our students to become upstanders, anti-racists and change-makers who stand up against all forms of hate.
Written by Dr. Michelle Ng, MAELS Equity Director