State Representative Theresa Mah from Illinois 2nd District

 

5/02/2020

State Representative Theresa Mah

c/o Office of State Representative Theresa Mah

2108 W. 35^th Street

Chicago, IL  60609

Dear State Representative Mah,

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, and many others. State Representative Mah, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work as Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 2^nd District and your support for the Asian American community to be very inspiring to me.

In January 2017, I was amazed on how you made history on becoming the first Asian American to be elected in the Illinois General Assembly.  In your current role as Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 2^nd District, I truly appreciate on how you are a strong supporter of civil rights by advocating for people with disabilities’ rights, supporting funds for women including minorities businesses to help them compete in the economy, and working with other state legislatures to expand legislation to help combat against hate-crime to help protect minorities including people who are different.  Support expanding on job training programs to help train youth including workers to develop work-skills and advocate for the need to raise the minimum wage to help minimum wage workers afford to live is common sense to improve the economy.  On education, I like on how you support funds to improve special education to help students with disabilities get the accommodations to help assist them to learn and support more literacy programs to help youth including adults develop or improve on their reading skills including comprehension.  Your approach to protect the environment like support funds for renewable energy resources to help reduce addiction to oil with gas, encourage businesses including industries  to use energy efficient products to reduce high energy cost while reduce pollution, and support funds to improve city services to help clean parks including water resources to make them safe for people to use is common sense. Also on social justice, I like on how you support expansion of programs to help the homeless including people who are low income or are poor to get supplies along with shelter, work on legislation to help protect immigrants from being discriminated by landlords, and support programs to help provide nutrition to people who are low income and children who can’t afford a meal in school to help them stay healthy.  Another thing that I like about your work as Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 2^nd District is how you support the need for ethics reform like ban on gifts to public officials including staff members from lobbyists or lobbying groups to reduce corruption, advocate for immigration reform to help protect dreamers, immigrants, and refugees from being oppressed, and heavily advocate for health care reform to help people who are poor, people with pre-existing conditions, people who can’t afford get the care they need.  Also I like on how you use your role as an Asian American to help the Asian American community by advocating for Asian Americans including Asian American with disabilities’ rights, supporting funds to help repair the Asian American community, working with the Asian American community to help restore or preserve their history, and supporting educational awareness to help educate people about Asian American culture. 

State Representative Mah, 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 to some Asians including some Asian Americans get judgmental about me having disability and how they believe that I don’t meet their standards.  Your role as an Asian American and supporting along with advocating for Asian American with disabilities’ rights helps give me some confidence about being an Asian American when I face different challenges.  Your role as current Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 2^nd District 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, improve social justice to make communities a better place, and many others.   My letter is a gift to you for inspiring me and for May Asian Pacific Heritage Month to help recognize Asian Americans individuals who work hard to make a great difference for society.    

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, work on improving social justice, and help the Asian American community. You have inspire me to work hard on my disability, learn about your work, and continue to be confident about being an Asian American when I face different challenges.  I hope that I get a chance to meet you to learn more about your work. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, working hard to make a great difference, and inspiring me. Please continue to advocate for common sense ideas and to continue to help the Asian American community.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick

State Representative Mah sent me a book about the State of Illinois!