OPINION: 25 years on, a nation still mourns
This opinion piece reflects on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. It highlights the diverse, international nature of the victims and honors the workers who perished at the World Trade Center through the lens of Martín Espada's poem, 'Alabanza'.
Why it matters
It serves as a cultural touchstone for national mourning and emphasizes the immigrant contributions to the American workforce that were lost in the tragedy.
Yesterday marked a quarter century since the 9-11 terrorist attacks. I still remember — I will always remember —walking the streets of Lower Manhattan through rows of faces in photographs pasted on lampposts and walls with urgent, wrenching words:
"Have you seen my wife?" "Last seen, 8:20 AM, Tuesday." "Have you seen our daughter?" "…our father?" "…my best friend?"
The question marks pierced into you like hooks.
The attacks of September 11, 2001, were attacks on America. But America is made up of the world.
The 2,977 people who were killed that day included people from more than 90 nations -- Canada, India, Great Britain, South Korea, the Dominican Republic and more. That's America.
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