State Senator Stephanie Chang from Michigan 1st District

 9/17/2020

State Senator Stephanie Chang                       

c/o Office of State Senator Stephanie Chang

State Capitol PO Box 30036

Lansing, MI  48909

Dear State Senator Chang,

My name is Matt Winick, an Asian American from Ann Arbor, Michigan  and I have a strong interest in learning history including social justice. In these subjects, I like to learn the need for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, improve social justice to make communities a better place, and many others. State Senator Chang, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work when you served as Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 6^th District and as current Member of the Michigan Senate from the 1^st District and your activism to help the Asian American community to be very inspiring to me.

In January 2015, I was amazed on how you made history on becoming the first Asian American woman to be elected to the Michigan state legislature.   When you served as Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 6^th District from 2015-2019, I truly appreciate on how you were a strong supporter of civil rights by advocating for people with disabilities’ rights, supporting funds to help women including minorities businesses to help them compete in the economy, and working with state legislators to expand on laws to combat against hate-crimes to help protect minorities including people who are different.   On the economy, I liked on how you support an expansion of jobs-training programs to help train youth including workers to develop or improve on work-skills to help prepare for the work force and heavily advocate for the need to raise the minimum wage to help assist minimum wage workers afford to live.  Supporting funds for renewable energy resources to help reduce addiction to oil with gas, encouraging businesses including industries to use energy efficient products to help reduce high energy cost while reduce pollution, and providing funds to improve government services to help clean parks including water resources to make them safe for people to use is common sense to protect the environment.  On education I like on how you push for funds to improve special education to help students with disabilities get accommodations they need to learn and support literacy programs to help adults including students develop literacy skills to improve on comprehension.  In your current role as Member of the Michigan Senate from the 1^st District, I like on how you are a continuous strong supporter of civil rights by advocating for people with disabilities’ rights, supporting funds to help women including minorities businesses to help them compete in the economy, and working with state legislators to expand on laws to combat against hate-crimes to help protect minorities including people who are different.   Also on the environment, I like on how you continue to support renewable energy resources and work with other state legislatures to provide money to help clean water resources including water areas around Flint to help improve public health while make water safer for people to use. Another thing that I like about your work in the Michigan Senate is how you oppose the Medicaid work-requirements due to people struggle with a disability or an illness including people who can’t work or find a full time job from losing access to Medicaid, support funds to help people with disabilities or people who struggle with mental health including people with autism to get some access to health care or mental health services, and working to help people who lost their job to COVID-19 pandemic get unemployment money.  Besides your work in the Michigan state legislature,  I truly appreciate on how you use your role as an Asian American to help advocate with support Asian American’s rights including Asian American with disabilities’ rights, push for funds to help repair the Asian American communities, and express the need for educational awareness to help educate people about Asian American or Asian culture.

State Senator Chang, I have autism with a learning disability. Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different advance subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased. Your commitment to be a strong supporter of civil rights including people with disabilities’ rights really inspires me to work hard on my disability. Also being an Asian American with a disability is difficult for me due some Asians including some Asian Americans tease me along with get judgmental about me being different or not meeting their standards.  Your role as an Asian American on advocating for Asian American with disabilities’ rights gives me some confidence about being an Asian American when I face challenges. Your role in the Michigan state legislature gives me motivation to continue to learn history including social justice.  My future goal is to someday work in these areas to help emphasize the need to make civil rights stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, and many others.  

I strongly believe that you are making a great difference for society. I’m very proud on how you are working hard to support civil rights, protect the environment, advocate with support social justice, and help the Asian American community.  You have inspire me to work hard on my disability, learn about your work, continue to learn history including social justice,  and be confident about being an Asian American when there are challenges. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, working hard to make a great difference, and inspiring me. Please continue to make a great difference for society including the Asian American community and advocate for common sense ideas to help our country. I hope that you can run for higher office in the future.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick