Trish Zita Joins LaRuelist Café: Trish Shares Her Story as a First Generation American…A Child of Immigrants

Trish Zita joined Jeannine LaRue’s LaRuelist Café podcast for a recent episode entitled Crossing the Line: First American Born. Alongside other distinguished guests, Trish shared her story as a first generation American with Italian born parents.

The timely discussion highlighted the experiences of first-generation Americans and shed light on the stories of immigration in America during a time when the national discussion surrounding immigrants has become a heated debate. The panelists discussed how having immigrant parents impacted their lives and cultures.

Trish explained how her father came to the United States after moving to Australia for several years. Her mother came to the U.S. soon after and the couple eventually settled in Hamilton, NJ where Trish was raised. In their home, Trish’s family spoke Italian and ate traditional Italian meals. Trish shared that she kept in touch with her family and ancestral roots as a child by visiting Italy during the summers. When she had her own children, she felt it was important to bring them to Italy to continue the Italian connection with the next generation.

A common theme amongst the panelists was the desire to succeed that was ingrained in them from their parents. Trish highlighted this point and said, “The way I was raised was that all of us as Americans have the opportunity to succeed. Immigrants are here because they want a better life and are ready to make sacrifices and work hard for it.”

In the wake of the 2020 Presidential election, the panelists also discussed the historical importance of Kamala Harris’s election as Vice President of the United States. Vice President-Elect Harris is a daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants.

Trish shared that the election of the first female and daughter of immigrants to the Vice Presidency of the United States means so much to her and her family. Her relatives in Italy and her mother were elated to see a woman and a first-generation American serve in the second highest office in the land during their lifetimes.

Immigration is an integral part of the fabric of our country. This discussion exemplified the value our difference and experiences bring to the United States.

Watch the video below to hear the full conversation.

LaRuelist Café podcast is hosted by KZG’s Jeannine LaRue.  Launched in June of 2020, the podcast is live streamed on Facebook and YouTube 2-4 times per week and examines timely issues with expert panels from across the country. More information on the LaRuelist Café can be found here and episodes can be viewed live on Facebook here.