Dear Mr. Capsis,
I was greatly taken aback and offended to read the copy accompanying Maggie Berkvist’s photo on page 29 of the September issue. The caption includes incorrect information (there is no bamboo pole evident) and the offensive
wording “Alien Skills” is a stunning example of racism. There is no basis to identify the woman in the photo as an alien simply because she is Asian.
In a newspaper that claims to be “The Voice of The West Village,” this language is both inappropriate and offensive and shows a surprising lack of sensitivity. Your editorial staff has done Maggie B. a disservice with its photo caption.
—Gammy Miller
Dear Ms. Miller,
We thank you for your note and apologize for what was actually an editorial mistake involving auto-correct. We meant to write “Asian” in place of “Alien” but even that wording now seems insensitive. We will be more careful with our
word choice in the future.
—George Capsis
