A reader explains the grain as a prime tenet of community.

Rice is Community

Usually, I enjoy the magazine’s ability to reflect and celebrate our diversity. For this reason, I was especially disappointed to see a preview of choreographer Lin Hwai-Min’s Rice asking, “How much can you say about something you only eat as filler, after you finish your orange chicken?”

One in six Oaklanders is of Asian heritage. This includes my Cantonese-speaking wife, whose family taught me that in their language sek fan, meaning “to eat” literally translates to “eat rice.” They also say, “If I don’t eat rice, I can”t feel full.” For them, rice is the core of eating, and by extension, a prime tenet of community.

Rice is central to the experience of my wife’s, our children’s, and many of our friends’ ancestors. That my children’s grandparents spent decades selling orange chicken, not their preferred cuisine to often-dismissive clientele is another matter.

Josh Seidenfeld, Oakland

Improvements Noted

I want to commend you for your ongoing efforts to improve the Alameda Magazine. I particularly enjoyed the article on Libby Schaaf and your coverage of the rent controversy in Alameda in the latest issue. Your writers are skilled and really seem to be balanced and fair, even on contentious issues. I know being an editor of a local magazine is lots of work and hardly a money-maker, and I appreciate what you do.

John Maiers, Alameda

Remembering Celeste

I wanted to send you and Mike Rosen-Molina a sincere heartfelt thank you for including Celeste Howell in your recent article [“They Touched Our Lives,” Jan-Feb]. Celeste was my partner for nine years, and I have been completely devastated at her being taken from us way too soon. I’m still amazed at how many people she touched and how she is still helping me and our friends even now. She is and was a truly remarkable human.

Brian Mason, Oakland

Injera Fan

Unless I missed it, your magazine has not featured or reviewed Injera, the new Ethiopian restaurant on Park Street. This is a very welcome addition to our local cuisine.

Susan Espinoza, Alameda

Editor’s note: We visited Injera recently and have a new listing in this issue in our Dining Guide.