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A Communicative Divide

From: Michael Spikes
Length: 00:06:24

Youth Voices producer Marjorie explores the rift left between herself and her extended family when a language barrier is realized Read the full description.
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Piece Description

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Nearly 1-in-5 people, or 47 million U.S. residents age 5 and older, speak a language other than English at home. Youth Voices reporter Marjorie's family is from Uganda and speaks a language named Rukiga. Marjorie explored what it's like to not fluently speak her parents native language. Although she has learned some the culture of her native Uganda, what's a kid to do when she needs a translator to talk to her own grandmother?

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Review of A Communicative Divide

The production of this story is wonderful. It has amazing flow from personal experiences to that of the storyteller's friends to some information that is applicable nation wide. I think that this story is extremely timely because it seems that more than ever, America is populated with first and second Americans who experience that pull between American valued and customs and those of their family.

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Review of A Communicative Divide

The intro caught my attention and I was engaged for the rest of the piece. A huge variety of dynamic interviews helped me, a white American who has lived here all her life, understand what its like to feel excluded from your culture, and from your family. For many different reasons first generation Americans do not know their native language, and these youth are passionate about their homeland, but embarrassed about not knowing their culture. The part that was especially hard hitting was when the girls were talking about the embarrassment they feel because they cannot communicate with their family members in their homeland. Another thing that gave the piece more insight was the interviews were not one sided, and it goes on to explain the parents views of the issue. This piece is edited incredibly well and the narration keeps up a steady pace that helps push the concept across.

Broadcast History

WAMU's Metro Connection; June 2006
NPR's Morning Edition; June 2006

Related Website

http://www.wamu.org/Youthvoices