In response to the letter by Anna Lucia Feldman, I feel compelled to point out, as the story itself did, that Giovani Febus Rodriguez is actually Mexican. Just because the writer referred to him as "Mexican," does not mean it's racist. It's not like he's from Venezuela and we called him Mexican. He's actually from Mexico.
Would you be calling it racism if the article were to say "friendliest Canadian in town?" I think not. This was not a careless inclusion of ethnicity to demean or undermine him. The article is about a Mexican restaurant and the people who work there. It's not like the subject matter was unrelated to the country Mexico.
Your letter is an overreaction. If you bristle at the word "Mexican" you may be reacting to some sort of stereotype engrained in your mind. Your implication that labeling him Mexican (which, yes, is his nationality) is demeaning could itself be considered racism.
Reis Thebault
News Editor