Delegate Irene Shin of Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 86th district

 

6/27/2023

Delegate Irene Shin

c/o District Office 

397 Herndon Parkway, Suite 110

Herndon, VA  20170

Dear Delegate Shin,

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, expand on social justice to improve communities, and many others. Delegate Shin, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work as Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 86th district to be very inspiring to me.

In your current role as Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 86th district, I truly appreciate on how you are a strong supporter of civil rights by advocating for people with disabilities’ rights, working with members of the state legislatures to expand on laws to combat against hate crimes to help protect minorities including people who are different, and supporting funds for women including minorities businesses to help them compete in the economy.  On the economy, I like on how you support expanding on job training programs to help train youth including workers to develop or improve on work skills to help prepare them for the work force and heavily advocating for the need to raise the minimum wage to help assist minimum wage workers afford to live. Supporting renewable energy resources to help reduce addiction to oil including gas, encouraging businesses including industries along with housing to use energy efficient products to reduce high energy cost while reduce pollution, and working to expand on legislation 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 really like on how you support funds for improving special education to help assist students with disabilities get accommodations they need to help assist on learning, advocating for the need to increase funds to improve schools to help teachers including school staff get supplies or make the school environment safe, and heavily support legislation to expand mental health services in schools including colleges to help students including staff members get help on their mental health.  On social justice, I like on how you express the need for better improvements of better access to food stamps to help assist people who are low income or who are in need for nutrition, push for investigations into law enforcement who commit police misconduct, and work with different non-profit organizations or groups to find ways to help people who are homeless or who are low income to get different essential items or care they need.  Another thing that I like your work in the Virginia House of Delegates  is how you are an advocate for ethics reform like a ban on gifts to staff members of state legislature or members of the state legislature from lobbying groups including campaign finance disclosure of who is donating to their campaign to reduce corruption, support funds to better improve DNA testings including forensic science along with wrongful conviction unit to help reduce sending innocent people to jail for a crime that they didn’t commit, and working to expand funds to help repair the Asian American community. Also I like on how you use your role as an Asian American to help support along with advocate for Asian Americans’ rights including  Asian American with disabilities’ rights and emphasize the need for educational awareness about Asian American culture.  

Delegate Shin, I have autism with a learning disability. 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 Virginia House of Delegates from the 86th district helps give 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 for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, expand on social justice to improve communities, 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, expand on social justice, and many others. You truly inspire me to work hard on my disability, learn more about your work, be confident about being an Asian American with a disability when there are challenges, and continue to learn different subjects. Also I was wondering if you could share with me on how you got inspired to run for public office, what it’s like being an Asian American serving in public service, and some advice about working hard when I have challenges with a disability. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, working hard to make a great difference, and inspiring me. Please continue to work hard and advocate for common sense ideas.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick