March 25, 2021

The Honorable Alex Padilla

112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3553

Dear Senator Alex Padilla,

My name is Jade Pearson, and I am currently a graduate student at California State University,
Northridge (CSUN), studying Counseling with a higher education concentration. As I enter the
workforce this Spring upon graduation, I hope to continue my advocac y for disadvantaged
populations. As a counselor in training and a member of numerous associations such as the American
Counseling Association (ACA) and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators
(NASPA), I believe in the ethical standard of justice, which is at the core of my work. I urge you to
pass the bill ACR-55, which resolved that the Legislature commemorates October 24, 2021 as the
150th Anniversary of the Chinese Massacre of 1871, to promote this incident inclusiveness,
tolerance, and unity.

California is a state comprised of people from diverse backgrounds. With nearly 15% of our state
being comprised of AAPI residents, this population still feels unseen. Since the COVID-19
pandemic, at least 3,800 incidents of hate against the AAPI community have been reported in the
recent year. On March 16, 2021, a white gunman fatally shot eight people, including six Asian
women, in a series of killings at three massage parlors in the Atlanta area --a terrorist act. The
shootings are the latest in a series of violent incidents against Asian Americans across the country.

We as a state need to raise awareness of this population who feel rarely seen in our community. As a
Black woman, I have worked to advocate for Black and African American student populations, such
as putting together focus groups, psychoeducational groups, and workshops for healing and
advocacy. However, I believe my attention also needs to be focused on the AAPI community with
only a few people who advocate on their behalf.

Thank you for your consideration, and please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this
issue further.

Sincerely,
Jade Pearson
Graduate Student | M.S. in Counseling
Specialization in College Counseling and Student Services
California State University, Northridge