The Asian Division of the Library of Congress held a symposium marking the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 national tragedy on September 8 at the Thomas Jefferson Building.

Asian Pacific American Collection Librarian Reme Grefalda urged the audience to view the Special Display at the Asian Reading Room and a photography essay. She also asked the audience to share their experience on that horrific day.

A guest editor, as well as contributors to the Asian American Literary Review Special Issue marking the anniversary, stressed vigilance in protecting civil liberties in the world that changed after the 9/11 attacks. Contributors also read their story from the Literary Review.

In an interview, Shahi Buttar, executive director of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC), quoted Benjamin Franklin, who said, “Those who sacrifice a little essential liberty for some temporary security deserve neither.” The program was capped by a book signing of the commemorative Literary Review.

Most of those present were from the “Asian Americans in Film” class of the Asian American Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. Student Maricar Mendoza said she and her parents went to New York’s Ground Zero three months ago to honor the memory of the victims–as part of the national healing during the anniversary.