A Need to Belong: Citizenship in a Post-9/11 America

Something fundamental about being 'American' has changed since 9/11. A Need to Belong is the story of this change, told by voices from the nation's most diverse state - California - and by those abroad. A Need to Belong will explore patriotism and the place of both loyalty and dissent in our changed world. It will expose the byproducts of fear in our society, including a new sense of vulnerability among immigrants and strained relations between long-time citizens and recent arrivals. Through reporting abroad, it will examine how the image of America and the ideal of American citizenship in other parts of the world has shifted.

Listeners will visit a military town and its evangelical Christian church; hear the post-9/11 ordeal of an Iraqi family; hear the plight of three imigrant Filipino baggage handlers and follow the impact of their story back to family and friends in the Philippines; and feel the struggle of citizens and civic organizations trying to understand their roles and responsibilities in this new America. [Produced by KQED, San Francisco.]