September 6, 2022
New Survey Reveals Unity Coupled with Perceptions of Exclusion Toward Muslims
September 6, 2022 – A new survey released by More in Common ahead of the anniversary of 9/11 finds that the period still holds significance for most Americans, with the overwhelming majority remembering both fear and unity as the emotions associated with this period.
According to the detailed opinion survey, 9/11 remains one of the most significant events Americans have ever experienced, with more than 50% indicating it changed their lives. The survey also finds that 83% of Americans associate fear of terrorism as the sentiment people felt following the attacks.
The study surveyed respondents on a range of issues related to that period, including the meaning Americans attribute to “Never Forget,” the sense of unity and mistreatment toward minority groups, among other topics.
“After 21 years, 9/11 remains a consequential event in Americans’ collective memory, but we see it receding into history for younger Americans,” said Dan Vallone, executive director of More in Common U.S. “‘Never Forget’ has been closely linked to the victims, their families and the sacrifices made by first responders. We must be intentional in how we memorialize and remember the attacks and those we lost.”
The survey also found 73% of Americans associate the 9/11 period with “Americans being united,” although that belief is associated less among Millennials and Gen Z. Rather, Millennials are more likely than other generations to associate the period with mistreatment of Muslims and minority groups, possibly reflecting the polarization and racial tension pervading much of political discourse in the years following the attacks.
“We’re reaching the point where the memories we associate with the 9/11 attacks, and the period immediately after, are solidifying how future generations will study and understand this period in American History,” added Vallone. “Approximately one in four Americans were born after the attacks, and that number is set to grow to over half the population in 20 years. How we discuss 9/11 today will shape how future generations understand and pass down these memories.”
The survey is part of More in Common’s American Identity Project, a multi-year study that explores how Americans feel towards our national identity and our history. The full survey along with other recent research projects from More in Common can be found on their website.
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About More in Common U.S.
More in Common U.S. is a non-partisan research and civic nonprofit that studies the forces pulling America apart, seeking to disrupt polarization and forge a stronger sense of what Americans have in common.