Loving Alex Eala

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Alex Eala (Photo by Ronald Salazar)

It was a total lovefest.

When tennis phenom Alex Eala hit the court—and took the win—in Auckland, New Zealand earlier this month, the energy inside the stadium was unmistakably Filipino. The country’s 108,000-plus strong Filipino New Zealander community (or at least a significant number) showed up loud, proud, and all heart.

Our writer Ronald Salazar was there when Alex and her partner Iva Jovic clinched their first-round victory, and he felt the moment firsthand. Kababayans filled the stands, chanting “Laban, Alex!” nonstop—so loud and relentless that the umpire had to shush them more than once.

After the match, Alex made sure to show her appreciation.

“It’s so special. If there’s one thing I learned in 2025, it’s that home is the people and not the place.”                                                               

*****

Nothing—not age, not even brutal weather—can slow down Bella Bonner.

Always down to do something she’s never done before, Bella swapped Manila’s tropical heat for Mongolia in the dead of winter last month. We’re talking minus 26°C (minus 14.8°F) kind of cold—the kind where it feels like your fingers might actually fall off.

And yet? The week-long trip landed squarely on her list of the best experiences of her life (and she's had plenty). She survived, she thawed out, and yes—she lived to tell the story.

*****

If Filipino American history matters to you, this one’s a must-see.

Now showing at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the exhibition “How Can You Forget Me: Filipino American Stories” traces the roots of the Filipino American community in Stockton from the 1910s to the 1970s.

Using the contents of long-forgotten steamer trunks, the exhibit brings our stories—migration, labor, family, and survival—back into focus. It runs through November 2027, so there’s time to plan that DC trip and see our history reflected where it belongs.

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Staff