Temecula City Councilmember Jessica Alexander was scolded by a council colleague Tuesday night, May 11, for an email in which she called the coronavirus the “China Virus.”
Councilmember Matt Rahn said the reference was “exceptionally offensive” and “surprisingly thoughtless.”
Alexander responded, saying she’s not a racist and that Rahn should have approached her if he had an issue with her email.
“I don’t know how many people truly know me on this council, or in Temecula, but the people who do know me, first of all, know my background,” Alexander said. “Nobody can sit here and tell me that I’m a racist person, because of what I do. I love working with the community, with all people. And it breaks my heart to sit here and have people tell me that I’m racist because of what’s in my heart.”
Before Alexander’s response, Rahn read aloud part of an email he said she sent Tuesday, May 4, to Temecula Mayor Maryann Edwards and City Manager Aaron Adams.
Rahn read from Alexander’s email: “Mayor Edwards, during our last (City Council) meeting, you stated that we are not opening chambers due to the possibility that we may not receive the $14 million dollars from the China Virus Relief funding.”
The rest of Alexander’s email, provided by Rahn, asked about Edwards’ previous comments about jeopardizing federal dollars to the city.
“You said that if we do not have masks on during a live meeting in chambers, with our residents, we can miss out on that payment,” the email states. “I have had several residents including myself questioning the breakdown of that money and how it gets disbursed. Aaron, can you please print out and put on my desk the breakdown of the $14 million dollars in order for me to present that to the residents of Temecula.”
Alexander was inquiring about the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, federal coronavirus relief funds sent to cities and organizations during the pandemic.
Alexander, the District 2 councilmember, has been in the spotlight and drawn criticism and support after her comments at an April 13 council meeting. That’s when Alexander said she “cannot” and “will not” wear a mask and compared her fight against masks to the struggle of civil rights activist Rosa Parks.
Alexander has not publicly addressed, apologized or discussed those remarks, and has not responded to numerous requests for comment, including on Wednesday, May 12. She was also not present at the voluntary diversity training for councilmembers on April 6, which the four other councilmembers attended, according to City Clerk Randi Johl. Her absence was not explained.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, Rahn called for higher standards of conduct for all councilmembers, and more accountability for external and internal communications.
He contrasted Alexander’s “China Virus” reference with a council proclamation made at the start of Tuesday’s meeting honoring May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and recognizing local Asian American leaders’ contributions.
“It’s sadly coincidental that we issued a proclamation here tonight, the first one we’ve ever done in the city of Temecula recognizing National Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Month,” Rahn said while addressing Alexander directly on camera. “Ms. Alexander, the language used is insensitive. You have to know this, and you shouldn’t have to ask me to explain why, in my own background and experiences, that this statement is exceptionally offensive, but if you want to give me a call and I’ll explain why … you should know this surprisingly thoughtless comment is now recorded in an official city communication.”
After a pause, Alexander reminded people that she served in the military and in a police department, has lived overseas in five counties and has visited 18, and that she’s “a Christian … and the first thing I stand on is God.”
Alexander, while not specifically addressing the “China Virus” reference or the earlier comment about Rosa Parks, also told Rahn that she wished he had come to her directly “if you had a problem, instead of announcing it, but that’s OK. I thought we were colleagues — if there’s a problem, we come to each other first.”
The heated debate between councilmembers followed the reading of numerous public comments, many of them from residents protesting mask-wearing and the closure of the council chambers.
Alexander also reminded residents that she wants to be “the voice” for those who don’t want to wear a mask and “who are getting physically injured,” and that the division is “killing her as well.”
“I want to be the voice of the people,” she said. “People asked me to be the representative, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. But God comes first. Family comes next and next, Temecula, my country.”
Julie Geary, a member of the social justice group Temecula Unity, said by email that she hopes Alexander will “take the time to stop and think about her words before she speaks.”
“To proclaim the (coronavirus) as a ‘China virus” during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month shows that she is not in tune with communities of color, nor care about supporting them,” Geary wrote. “This once again underscores how she would benefit from undergoing diversity and equity training, to understand that the connotations of chosen words impact communities. A true anti-racist would consider the reactions and ponder if a behavior change is needed. They would understand that their journey of learning and understanding is never over.”
