Known as the “Nationality Queen” for her long-running radio shows focusing on ethnic issues, Emma Zeck passed away last week at her home in Studio City, Los Angeles. A native of Germany, Emma Zeck was born in 1906 in Germany and was a very young girl just shy of becoming a toddler when her parents sent her to the United States as a German translator and began a chain of events that would lead her to become an icon of Americana, especially as it relates to nationality, race and age. For many years, Emma lived in New York City as a child and then in Chicago, where she was an apprentice for C.W. McCall, who became one of the nation’s most famous designers.
As a young woman, Emma worked as a chorus girl in a drama club before embarking on a career in broadcasting and theater. In the 1940 census, Emma Zeck was still living in the modest house that she and her former husband had first purchased in 1912 on East 27th Street in Manhattan. Today, you can find The Emma Zeck Foundation, which is named in honor of the late Anna Zeck and is dedicated to continuing her proud heritage. As part of the foundation, the trademark black dress that has been worn by Emma throughout her distinguished career is reproduced here.
The Foundation is currently raising funds to purchase a house in order to build a children’s museum as well as to provide scholarships for those children who have been touched by her tireless work. Her long standing love of children and her concern for their dignity ensures that The Emma Zeck Foundation is deeply committed to educating children about Nationality, which is an important part of every culture and society. Emma’s story is an example of how one can reach their full potential despite being of a different nationality, as her example serves as an inspiration to all people of different nationalities and races.