US Open: Jessica Pegula falls to the No. 1 seed but AAPI community comes out a winner

Alexandra Eala was a crowd pleaser in the US Open courts and at the box office.

 

Aryna Sabalenka’s bruising 7-5, 6-2 victory over Jessica Pegula in the 2026 US Open semifinals was, on paper, another masterclass in power tennis. 

For Pegula, the world No. 3, it was a frustrating roadblock against a rival who simply locked into a violent, unescapable groove on the Flushing Meadows hard courts. Pegula fought with her signature flat, pristine ball-striking, but she ultimately ran out of answers against top-seeded Sabalenka's relentless attack.

Yet, for those of us watching through the lens of representation, Pegula’s deep run in New York remains a quiet triumph. 

As a Korean American athlete who actively champions diversity through the AAPI Tennis Association, her presence at the top of the game provides a vital institutional anchor. Her background—nuanced by the intersection of race and immense family wealth—continues to redefine what an Asian American sports icon looks like in the modern era.

The Eala Effect

But if Pegula represents the established vanguard, this summer truly belonged to the seismic, culture-shifting arrival of Alexandra Eala.

The 21-year-old Filipina sensation didn’t just play tennis this summer; she turned American stadiums into home venues. Fresh off a historic breakthrough where she claimed the Washington Open title — becoming the first player from the Philippines to win a Tour-level title — Eala carried a tidal wave of diaspora energy straight into New York.

For the 4.7 million Filipinos living in the United States, Eala's matches became mandatory cultural viewing and an opportunity to assert their presence known in the community. 

During her pulsating, three-hour third-round epic against Iva Jovic on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the stands didn't feel like a standard tennis crowd. They felt like a family reunion. To the consterationation of traditional tennis fans, Every baseline winner from Eala was met with a roar of tricolor flags and the unmistakable, passionate backing of a community that has long waited to see its heritage center-stage in a major sport.

The US media, usually slow to look beyond homegrown prodigies, was forced to take notice. Mainstream giants like ESPN, Forbes, Wall Street Journal and the New York Times scrambled to cover the "Eala Effect" —t he way a young star from Quezon City could completely command the media narrative and turn a mid-tournament match into a high-stakes cultural event.

What makes Eala truly transcendental, however, is the tangible economic impact tracing her wake. According to data released by the WTA, Eala's presence has unlocked entirely new diaspora consumer markets:

• The Ticket Boom: Ticket demand spiked wildly wherever she stepped on court; in Toronto, her sessions pulled a staggering 64% increase in newly acquired ticket buyers compared to any other player on the tour.

• The Digital Footprint: Her social media footprint skyrocketed, with her Instagram following surging past 1.9 million followers as "Yala Mania" took over the internet.

• The Broadcast Surge: Viewership numbers back in the Philippines shattered previous tennis broadcast records, with millions of fans waking up at dawn to stream her matches in real-time.

View from the edge

Not since 2021 when Leylah Fernandez and Emma Raducanu played in the finals has the Asian presence been as noticeable.

This "identity-driven demand" is rewriting the commercial landscape of women's sports. Eala secured $1.7 million in on-court prize money in 2026 alone, but her corporate pull is where her market value shifts into overdrive. Forbes reports her off-court commercial earnings surpassed $5 million over the past 12 months, fueled by global powerhouses like Panasonic and Marriott alongside major Filipino brands.

Tennis executives and tournament organizers are already realizing they have an unprecedented economic engine on their hands. Client managers at IMG openly project that by 2027, Eala’s skyrocketing endorsement portfolio — with minimum deals now starting in the seven-figure range — will comfortably position her as the second-highest-paid female athlete in the world, trailing only Coco Gauff.

 "The AAPI tennis community is large but underrepresented," said Pegula, one of the cofounders of the Asian American Pacific Islander Tennis Association. "We hope to empower leaders, grow visibility, and create programming that encourages youth participation." 

Pegula may have gone further in the draw, but Eala proved that the future of tennis speaks directly to the global diaspora.

Pegula, Eala, Osaka, zheng, Tien and the other Asian and Asian American players have firmly arrived, and the media and corporate landscape — much like the sport itself — will never look the same.

Eala took to Instagram to share her feelings after her journey in New York came to an end, writing: “Live for the chase. Immense gratitude for what I’ve been through this week. US Open ‘26, a forever kind of memory.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, please repost. 

Tennis star's 'Eala Effect' brings the Filipino Diaspora back to the Miami Open

Alexandra Eala''s takes time to thank her Filipino fans.

Tennis sensation Alexandra  Eala beat the legendary Novak Djokovic, former No. 1 tennis player. Not on the courts but online.

It’s time to stop calling Alex Eala a "rising star" and start calling her what she actually is: a global phenomenon.

As we roll through March 2026, the 20-year-old Filipina sensation isn't just winning matches; she’s recalibrating the entire ecosystem of professional tennis. From the hard courts of Melbourne to the desert heat of Indian Wells, the "Eala Effect" is in full swing, and the tennis establishment is scrambling to keep up with the sheer magnitude of her orbit.

She took another step towards superstar status Thursday at the Miami Open with a grueling three-hour, 20-minute marathon victory over German veteran Laura Siegemund, winning 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-3. 

But let’s be real — the real show was in the stands. The turnout of Filipino American  fans was absolutely unprecedented for an opening-round match, with a sea of Pinoy pride turning the atmosphere electric. It’s official: whenever Eala steps on court, the local fans give her a home-court advantage.

She's learning to handle hernew-found fame. "It was a little surprising, definitely, because it’s hard to see yourself as that ‘famous’ when you have just been you for your whole life.

“But once you get past that, you learn to really enjoy it because the atmosphere is really different when there’s a full stadium.”

It was a year ago at the Miami tournament when Eala broke into the professional ranks when she began attracting attention when she basically came out of nowhere to gain the reputation as a giant-slayer. She defeated three consecutive Grand Slam champions—Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and the signature win of her career, a stunning upset of world No. 2 Iga Świątek.

She became the first Philippines-born player to ever reach a WTA 1000 semifinal and enters Miami ranked No. 39 in the world.

She followed up Miami with a debut at the US Open where it first became apparent to a national audience that she had a strong fan base. Filipinos in New York, especially the nearby Queens borough where Little Manila is located, jammed the courts where she was playing to cheeer her on, giving her the emotional lift of being the hometown favorite.

Her genuine reaction using a Filipino exclamation when she won her first match at the US Open last summer created a viral meme and adopted and popularized by TikTok singers and social media influencers.

Her future is bright

Industry insiders and former ATP mainstays like Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson have been caught in a heated debate lately over a question that would have seemed unthinkable a few years ago: Is Eala a bigger box-office draw than heavyweights like Coco Gauff or Aryna Sabalenka? The numbers don’t lie.

What’s truly surprising the tennis world isn't just her grit on the court—it’s the math. During the 2026 Australian Open, digital engagement for her pre-tournament presser (roughly 173,000 views) nearly doubled the numbers for former No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic. Think about that: a 20-year-old from Quezon City is out-drawing the greatest of all time in the digital arena.

Alex Eala's "rock-star" popularity has surprised the tennis world.

Tournament directors in Abu Dhabi and Doha have been forced to tear up their schedules, moving Eala’s matches from the back courts to center stage just to safely house the throngs of fans. ESPN has even likened her traveling gallery to Taylor Swift’s "Eras Tour," noting that fans are braving freezing midnight temperatures just for a glimpse of the left-hander from Quezon City.

This "rockstar" status is backed by some serious corporate muscle, most notably from Nike. The Swoosh didn't just sign her; they've made her a centerpiece of their global marketing strategy, recognizing that her appeal transcends the baseline. By positioning Eala alongside icons like Naomi Osaka, Nike is betting big on her as the face of a new, diverse generation of athletes.

Marketing gurus are already drawing parallels between Eala and the legendary Li Na, noting that Alex is single-handedly unlocking the Southeast Asian market—a sleeping giant in the tennis world. This isn't just about selling sneakers; it's about a massive cultural shift where a Pinay is the one setting the trends on and off the court.

While her digital footprint is staggering—her Australian Open press conference views reportedly doubled those of Novak Djokovic—she’s earning just as much respect for her poise.

Even in high-stakes losses to top-tier opponents, Eala’s maturity and sportsmanship have made her a locker-room favorite, proving she has the temperament to match her hype.

Back home in the Philippines, the impact is nothing short of a revolution. We’re seeing a legitimate tennis frenzy that has left Manila’s public courts packed to capacity and rackets flying off the shelves. This "Eala-mania" culminated earlier this year when the Philippines hosted its first-ever WTA 125 tournament, a milestone that seemed like a pipe dream before Alex broke through.

Coming up next

Her next match is Saturday where she will meet a familiar foe, Magda Linette, ranked No. 50 in the world. Linette and Eala are no strangers to each other. The Polish veteran won their first two encounters—at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open (7-6, 6-1) and the 2025 Nottingham Open (6-4, 6-3).

However, Eala claimed the most recent meeting earlier this year, defeating Linette 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the ASB Classic in Aukland, New Zealand.

This "Eala-mania" culminated earlier this year when the Philippines hosted its first-ever WTA 125 tournament, a milestone that seemed like a pipe dream before Alex broke through. She isn't just playing for herself anymore; she’s carrying the aspirations of an entire nation and the millions of Filipinos around the world on her shoulders, and so far, she hasn’t missed a beat.

Eala isn’t just climbing the WTA rankings; she’s hijacking the sport’s global radar. If you’re looking for the next big thing in tennis, stop looking at the traditional powerhouses and start looking at the Philippines.

In an interview with The Times, Eala expressed her gratitude for the support she receives  from the tennis world, but especially the cheers from her kababayan.

“It’s such a good thing to have and I’m super grateful,” Eala, said in an interview with The Times . “I’m happy that (Filipinos) are being exposed to tennis. At the end of the day, it’s just a way for us to bond and show pride in our culture. We’re very proud of where we come from. I haven’t seen that shared sense of pride in a lot of other communities, so that’s one of the things that makes us special."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

Weekend Reading: Filipino seafarer, Japanese Americans return home, Asian DACA participants & an unconventional Thanksgiving tradition

Filipino seamen make up the majority of the crews of those giant cargo ships. They provide about $6 billion in remittances, provide for their parents, send relatives to college and pay for their families' concrete homes. Filipinos have for decades powered the global shipping industry, helping to move 90 percent of global trade.The New York Times provides a peek at the lonely life chosen by the seaman.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE

One student was a test case for resettling detainees of Japanese descent

TAKEI FAMILY

Esther Takei at 19.

A Quaker accountant who had worked at the incarceration camp in Poston, Ariz., explained to Esther Takei's parents that their 19-year old daughter would enroll at Pasadena Junior College while living with his family in Altadena. Her resettlement would gauge the public reaction and, if all went well, lead the way for tens of thousands more to return to the West Coast, recounts The Los Angeles Times.

Esther's parents agreed to let her go, putting their fears aside. They needed to show the nation their people’s humanity, and their loyalty. But when Esther boarded the westbound train a few weeks later, her father had a moment of panic: Am I sending my daughter to her death?

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE

Undocumented Asians say they must speak up or lose DACA

Hong-Mei Pang, director of advocacy for Chinese for Affirmative Action in San Francisco, said the unclear future of DACA makes it high time for people to work closely, regardless of their backgrounds and countries of origin.

“For a long time, immigrants [were] pitted against each other in the debate about immigration reforms,” shet old the Los Angeles Times.. “In this very moment when there are so many threats from the Trump administration, it really is time for us to band together with other communities of color to say that home is here.”

Experts say Asian and Pacific Islander recipients of DACA are often overlooked despite there being over 1.7 million undocumented members of this group in the country,. mmigration advocates believe undocumented Asians need to align themselves with the undocumented from other countries.

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An unconventional Thanksgiving tradition changes their children's lives

"Thanksgiving was sacred to us," writes Su-Jit Lin in the HuffPost. "It was the only day of the year the exhaust fans were silenced and the lights turned off. The only day of the year all six of us spent in leisure as a family, present for one another and having conversations instead of just barking orders while trying to feed a faceless stream of hangry strangers. And it became the only day of the year my father was able to share his dreams for us, a real American dream: a better life for his kids than what he was resigned to.

"For about a decade, my family spent almost every Thanksgiving Day visiting different universities in driving distance of our home base in Suffolk County, and we’d wander aimlessly around the deserted campus of a college our dad wanted on our radars in the hopes that we could see ourselves there.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE.
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'Intersections' trailer: Untold stories of who Filipinos are becom...

Next Day Better, a Filipino American online platform dedicated to telling stories of peoples and communities spread across the globe, released a trailer for their next storytelling series: "Intersections."

“The global Filipino Diaspora is a hub and inspiration for world-changing ideas that pushes humanity forward.”, says Ryan Letada, NextDayBetter CEO and co-founder. “This global speaker and action series is designed to celebrate and amplify the impact of these ideas.”

The nonprofit brings together Filipinos from the business, sports, arts and food sector with the goal of empowering Filipinos around the world. As immigrants and children of immigrants, it's up to all of us to make a statement, say the creators of "Intersections," which is slated to launch next month

Starting with individual Filipinos in the diaspora, the series discovers their untold stories and the complexities of their identities taking shape. The series explores bold topics from shame-free sex education, LGBTQ acceptance in the Catholic Church, and allyship with Indigenous peoples. From Middle America to New York City, "Intersections" invites Filipinos to reimagine who they are, the challenges they face, and how their experiences -- as wide-ranging as they may be -- connects, rather than divides.

Filipinos are taking root across the world as immigrants and new citizens. In partnerships with The Filipino Channel (TFC), Next Day Better wants to tell stories that allow anyone from anywhere to discover their contributions to humanity.

"It is actually easy to find these world-changing people from our community that are leading the way in tech, in creativity, in different industries and we are contributing more, not just for the Philippines but for the entire world," Letada, himself a product of the disapora -- he was born in Kuwait, raised in the Bronx, 

To make the "next day better," these Filipinos believe that no matter the product or passion, each day can get even better when you can give back whether it’s within your own community or oceans away.

In describing the goals of "intersections," the website says, "We embrace the complex, evolving and intersectional identities of global Filipinos. From Middle America to Hong Kong, our IntersectionsTM stories invite us to reimagine who we are and how we can better ourselves and the communities around us."

The first episode of Intersections will be available on Sept. 3 featuring sex educator Andrea Barroca of Oakland, CA. New episodes will become available every two weeks until Nov. 12. 

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FilAm History: Filipino nurses vital to U.S. healthcare

DID YOU HEAR the joke at the Emmy's last month about Filipino nurses?

One of the best jokes of awards show came from the opening monologue by hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che who questioned how the popular television show ER could go on for 15 seasons without a single Filipino nurse.

“TV has always had a diversity problem I mean, can you believe they did 15 seasons of ER without one Filipino nurse?" asked Che. "Have you been to a hospital?

That acknowledgement, even if it was part of a comedy routine, has been long overdue.

Considering that through the years, tens of thousands of Filipino nurses have moved to the U.S. to help fill in the perennial nursing shortage. In some urban hospitals it would be hard to miss them.

We might also point out that this gross oversight plagues practically all U.S. TV series. Grey's Anatomy, in its 15th season, mentioned a Filipina nurse only once. Nurse Bokhee, a Korean American nurse, has been in almost every operating room scene over the show's 15 years, 

Adding insult to injury, Grey's Anatomy is set in Seattle, home of the fifth largest concentration of Filipinos in the United States. Except for that one instance, the absence of Filipino nurses  in Grey's Anatomy is a glaring omission for a show that prides itself on its diversity. 

As Al Jazeera cites in a video the news agency produced last year, Filipino nurses make up about 20 percent of California's nurses.

Filipino nurses began arriving in the U.S. as early as the turn of the 20th Century, under the Pensionado Act of 1903, which funded American educations for citizens of the Philippines, a U.S. colony at the time. The migration streams continued in waves throughout the 20th Century.

During the 1970s, the U.S. and other industrialized countries experienced nursing shortages, as more work opportunities began to open to women, making nursing, with its long hours and high stress, a less appealing option. But well-educated and English-speaking Filipino nurses provided the perfect (but, underpaid) replacement workforce.
 As a result, Filipinos on H1-B visa helped make them the fifth-largest foreign-born immigrant group in the United States in 2015, and they're overrepresented in certain industries like nursing. 

Filipina nurses have been coming to the U.S. since the start of the 20th century.

The flow of nurses from the Philippines, continues today. According to recent statistics by the US National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the Philippines again topped the number of foreigners applying for the U.S. nursing licensure exam in 2017. A total of 7,791 nurses applied for the first time – 23% higher than the 2016 figure of 6,322.
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Kuwaiti Instagrammer walks back on her comments about Filipinos

SONDOS ALQATTAN 

AN INSTAGRAM STAR who criticized Kuwait's new laws that improve working conditions for Filipino domestic workers tried to walk back her viral social media post but stopped short of apologizing.

Earlier today (July 24), Sondos Alqattan addressed the backlash against her on Instagram, where she dismissed it as 'rumours', saying she treats all her employees fairly and does not 'impose long working hours'.

However, she never issued an apology. Instead, she thanked critics who called her 'beautiful from the outside' ... (but, ugly on the inside.)

Known for her make-up tutorials, Alqattan has 2.3-million Instagram followers.

"I have not (in) any circumstances in present or past... degraded or in any way mistreated an employee of mine," she said in an Instagram post. 

"I consider all employees as equal human being [sic]." Her complete statement follows:

Skip Instagram post by sondos_aq

In her controversial video posted earlier in July, Alqattan said: "How can you have a servant at home who keeps their own passport with them? And what's worse is they have one day off every week. I don't want a Filipina maid anymore."

Social media networkers were fierce in calling Alqattan's comments as racist, and demanded cosmetic brands cut their ties with her. Chelsea Beautique, a make-up company, announced it would remove a video sponsored by Alqattan from its social media channels.

"We are totally against the principles expressed by Ms Sondos Alqattan which in no way reflect the Micallef brand," a spokesperson from perfume house M. Micallef told the BBC.

Make-up company Chelsea Beautique also posted on Twitter that Alqattan's statements did not "represent [their] brand's core beliefs".

Responding to the onslaught of criticism, Max Factor Arabia say they will terminate their lucrative endorsement deals with her.

In a statement to The National, the cosmetics company said: 'Max Factor Arabia was shocked by the comments made by the influencer Sondos Al Qattan.

'Max Factor stands for women's empowerment and supporting every woman to express her individuality, irrespective of ethnicity and occupation.

'Max Factor Arabia is taking this incident very seriously and have immediately suspended all collaborations with Sondos.'

Shiseido, a Japanese personal care company who have colloborated with Al Qattan, also said it 'does not support or align with the recent statements made by Sondos Al Qattan.'

The new laws referenced by Alqatta are part of the reforms agreed upon by Kuwait and the Philippines after Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to stop sending Filipinos to that country after several reports of maltreatment of Filipinos, including the recent of a maid whose body was hidden in the employer's freezer.

Roughly 660,000 people out of Kuwait’s population of 4 million are imported workers, 250,000 of which are from the Philippines. According to Human Rights Watch, Kuwait's  “kafala” system, which gives employers extensive powers over migrant workers, often forces them to remain with abusive bosses, while those who flee can be punished and imprisoned. 

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Instagram star slammed for criticizing Kuwait laws giving Filipino workers a day off

INSTAGRAM

Sondos Alqattan has blocked her social media accounts because of her comments about Filipino maids.

A NEW LAW, giving Filipino migrants in Kuwait a day off and requiring them to keep their passports in their own possession, angered a Kuwaiti Instagram star that she unleashed an post criticizing the law on her beauty vlog.

"The new laws that have been passed are like a pathetic film," said makeup artist Sondos Alqattan in a viral video last week. 

"For her to take a day off every week, that's four days a month. Those are the days that she'll be out. And we don't know what she'll be doing on those days, with her passport on her," said Alqattan, who has 2.3 million followers on Instagram blog in which she gives beauty tips.

Along with a mandatory weekly day off, recent reforms in Kuwaiti regulations for Filipino domestic workers also require that workers keep their own passports with them. Before the changes, employers could confiscate the passports of domestic help. 

"How can you have a 'servant' at home who keeps their own passport with them?" asked Alqattan.

Her ugly comments come after a months-long diplomatic row, between Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Kuwait, over the treatment of domestic workers. 

The controversy began in February when a murdered Filipina maid, Joanna Demafelis, 29, was found in her employer's freezer in Kuwait City. Duterte then spoke out about the "inhuman" treatment of migrant workers and banned workers from working in Kuwait. As part of the Filipino diaspora, Filipinos have found employment in Kuwait and other Middle East countries.

Overseas Filipino workers often send money back to the Philippines. Their remittances form a major portion of the Philippine economy.

In recent years, the oil rich nations of the Middle East is a popular destination for overseas Filipinos where they can find work that offer higher pay than what they can earn in the Philippines.  In Kuwait, many of 250,000 imported Filipino workers are employed as domestic workers and construction workers. 

The ban was lifted after the two countries worked out an agreement for safety guarantees for Filipinos employed in Kuwait. The very agreements that prompted the outburst from the self-anointed beauty expert.

Not surprisingly, Alqattan's heartless and self-centered views were lambasted online with some of her critics calling for a boycott of beauty products associated by her. 

In the Philippines, Migrante and SANDIGAN (Samahan ng mga DH sa Gitnang Silangang), which advocate on behalf of overseas workers, vehemently condemned Alqattan's comments and asked for an apology.

"By projecting herself as a slave-owner, Sondos exhibits intoxication in her overinflated ego and false sense of superiority," the groups said in a statement.

"There is no doubt that maltreatment of Filipinos in Kuwait and in many countries persist," the statement continued. "What is even more outrageous is that the Duterte regime continues to act as a pimp who willingly furnishes foreign countries with cheap and docile workers from the Philippines to serve as cash cows for his pro-elite TRAIN and Build, Build, Build lunacy.

"An apology from Sondos will surely give respite to our offended netizens but what OFWs ultimately long for is the total elimination of the roots of forced migration. As long as the Duterte regime stubbornly refuses to impose a national minimum wage, end contractualization, pursue national industrialization and institute genuine agrarian reform in the Philippines, there will be more cases like that of Demafelis and we shall hear more grim stories in the future about OFWs being at the receiving end of insults and inhumane treatment overseas from cynics like Sondos Alqattan."

There has been no apology from Alqattan and her social media accounts have been blocked since her comments have gone viral. 

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$4.2 million fine ordered for oil rig accident that killed Filipino workers

The Gulf of Mexico oil rig after the explosion that killed three Filipno workers.

ALMOST FIVE YEARS after an oil rig accident blew up claiming the lives of three Filipino workers, after pleading guilty to several safety violations, an oil drilling operation agreed to pay a $4.2 million penalty.

The decision is part of a series of court proceedings surrounding the 2012 the Gulf of Mexico accident, south of New Orleans. Filipino workers Avelino Tajonera, Elroy Corporal, and Jerome Malagapo died in the explosion while other workers were burned and injured.


Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations LLC (BEE), headquartered in Houston, Texas, was sentenced today (Aug. 31) on eight felony violations of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) and one misdemeanor count of violating the Clean Water Act before the Honorable U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.

However, BEE has filed for bankruptcy since the accident, therefore the $4.2 million penalty will be a general unsecured claim against BEE’s bankruptcy estate entitled to a pro rata distribution from the trust with other allowed unsecured claims against BEE

The workers who died or were injured were employed by labor contractor Grand Isle Shipywards. 

Grand Isle Shipyards faces manslaughter charges, while co-defendants Curtis Dantin, Christopher Srubar, and Don Moss face criminal violations of the Clean Water Act in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Those cases probably won't be heard until 2018.

The OCSLA charges against Grand Isle Shipyards, Moss, Srubar, and Dantin, were dismissed by the district court and are pending in an interlocutory appeal by the government to the Fifth Circuit.

The oil accident lifted the curtains to labor exploitation in the oil industry. Among the many illegal abuses the Filipino workers suffered at the hands of GIS were being forced to work for six to seven days a week, 12 to 14 hours a day without overtime pay with thousands of dollars in overpriced, unlawful “room and board” deductions unlawfully withheld from their paychecks. 

GIS forced the Filipino employees to work for up to four months straight offshore on oil rigs, while American co-workers were allowed to leave the oil rigs after the completion of their shifts each day. 

The Filipino workers were threatened with firing or being deported if they requested a day off or complained about working conditions. 

Onshore, Filipino workers were locked in bunkhouses at night and even on their days off, held prisoner until the beginning of their next shift. Now, over 100 Filipino workers in Louisiana have filed a class action lawsuit against GIS. They are also seeking accountability from a Philippine recruitment group in Louisiana called D&R Resources as well as a crewing company in the Philippines called DNR Offshore Crewing, which works with GIS to recruit Filipino workers.

The U.S. Department of the Interior-Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-CID conducted the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Greenfield and Nicholas Moses, and Senior Trial Attorney Kenneth Nelson of the Environment and Natural Resources Division prosecuted the case.
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