Piece Comment

Banking Translated


I associate banking with adults. I remember tagging along with my mom to the local bank and stuffing myself full of the free candy while she deposited checks and did other “grown up” activities. I always assumed that my experiences were typical, which is why I was surprised to hear Mayra Jimenez’s piece, Banking Translated. While I was busy sampling every lollipop flavor available, Mayra was translating monetary transactions for her immigrant parents, who didn’t speak English. She approaches language brokering from all perspectives, interviewing academics as well as other young language brokers like herself. This is a perfect example of radio minimalism. Marya doesn’t bog us down with unnecessary music beds or superfluous interviews, instead developing two storylines with fast paced scripting and lead ins. Banking Translated is a simple piece – Mayra manages to express embarrassment, guilt, and appreciation in 3 and a half minutes – but she comes out with a powerful message: Everyone deserves a voice.