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Flores, Dora From: Jennifer Au <aujennifert@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, May 03, 2021 10:16 PM To: eComment, Sarmiento, Vicente; Phan, Thai; Penaloza, David; Lopez, Jessie; Bacerra, Phil; Hernandez, Johnathan; Mendoza, Nelida Cc: general@vietrise.org Subject: Vote Yes on Resolution Agenda Item 21 in Support of the VISION Act Good evening Mayor Sarmiento and City Councilmembers, My name is Jennifer Au, and I am a resident of Santa Ana. I am writing to you tonight in adamant support of Agenda Item 21, the resolution in support of the VISION Act. In order for me to explain most clearly why the VISION Act is so important to me, I need to explain to you some of my family history: I come from a line of Chinese and Vietnamese immigrants who have been forcibly displaced from their home countries multiple times. I know that Santa Ana itself has a history that is over a century long that includes and involves Asian people, Chinese people in particular. Recently, there was an article on the Voice of OC in which Councilmember Phan and others discussed the ways that Vietnamese residents of Santa Ana have felt pushed out of the city. In the article, Commissioner Vu attributed at least part of this to the role that Santa Ana played in the expulsion and violence against the residents of its historic Chinatown over a century ago. While I understand the shame in this being a part of our city's history, I think it is essential that we reckon with this rather than ignore it. Part of this reckoning can and should absolutely happen with the passing of this resolution to support the VISION Act. The VISION Act would end the practice of punishing immigrants and refugees twice by ending ICE transfers from local prisons and state jails, which then put them at risk of being deported. For people like members of my family, that would mean being displaced yet again in their lives. This violence against our community members must stop. We have to recognize that violence against our people takes many forms, including incarceration, prolonged detention, deportation, and displacement. In this recent rise of violence against Asians, the VISION Act is an important way to begin to make legislative and cultural shifts away from violence. I greatly appreciate Councilmember Phan and Mayor Sarmiento for making sure this resolution was agendized and want again to ask the remaining city councilmembers to vote in support of the VISION Act to make sure that Santa Ana contends with its history and continues to support its immigrant and refugee communities still living here. Please respond to let me know that you have received this email comment for May 4th's city council meeting. Best regards, Jennifer Au 12