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Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month: Eagles cheerleaders celebrate culture, ancestry
Several Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders are sharing how their Asian American and Pacific Islander backgrounds shape their journeys, as the squad marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
PHILADELPHIA - Several Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders are sharing how their Asian American and Pacific Islander backgrounds shape their journeys, as the squad marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Celebrating heritage and inspiring others through dance
What we know:
The Eagles cheerleaders say their cultural backgrounds are a source of pride and inspiration for themselves and others. Chelsea Pe Benito, a first-generation Filipina American, said, "[my parent’s] sacrifices, truly mean the world to me and I just hope I’m able to inspire a little girl that looks like me, that with hard work and dedication they can do the same."
Rylee Kennedy, who was adopted from South Korea, said, "I have been so grateful to just continue to explore my culture and my history of my birth country. It’s something that used to be a point of self-consciousness and now it’s something that I’m very, very proud of and honored to represent in the NFL."
The cheerleaders say they dedicate years to perfecting their performance skills and that their ethnic and cultural backgrounds are a strength. "I wanted to be an NFL cheerleader," said Alex Fan.
The Eagles featured the cheerleaders on Instagram to celebrate the month, and Kennedy said, "I actually received a lot of direct messages from other adults, Korean adopteew, and they said it just meant a lot to them."
The cheerleaders’ stories
Why you should care:
The cheerleaders say representation in professional sports matters. Pe Benito said, "it is important and representation matters, especially being in the professional sports industry where there’s so much visibility. It’s very important that we are inspiring the younger generation and to remind them that they do have a place on the stage, on field, on the sidelines wherever that may be."
Fan, who is half Asian and one of the few Asian American male NFL cheerleaders, said, "being able to represent Asian American boys in this position means a lot because I saw that there was cheerleaders out there, but before I made this role, I hadn’t seen really a male NFL cheerleader that was Asian American and so to know that for this small subset of the population that doesn’t see representation, that now I’m able to provide that does mean a lot."
Sophia Chun, a rookie this season, said her late grandmother inspired her to dance. "My grandmother put me in dance when I was three years old because I had a lot of energy as a kid and she thought I needed an outlet for that and that was dance," said Chun. "I think she’d be really proud of me. Part of me believes that she put me in dance because she also wanted to be a dancer."
The cheerleaders balance their roles with full-time jobs or studies. Fan said, "this fall I will be starting at UPenn Law and continuing to cheerlead thankfully."
Pe Benito said, "I work as an oncology study manager for a pharmaceutical company where I oversee cancer research trials globally to ensure that newly approved therapies and medicines go out to patients in need."
Chun said, "Data science is my major I always knew I wanted to teach dance on the side so that’s kind of how this whole career path came about."
Kennedy said, "I work in marketing for utility company for their clean energy and energy efficiency programs."
The Eagles cheerleaders say football brings people together, and their presence on the squad helps their families embrace American culture. Fan said, "I’ve seen how both of my sides of my family have been so excited to see me on the field and how it’s made them you know, embrace their Americanness, even more, especially for the Taiwanese side of my family."
The cheerleaders say they are proud to be part of a team that values diversity and individuality.
The backstory:
The Eagles cheerleaders say they hope to inspire others by sharing their stories and celebrating their heritage. Kennedy said, "growing up I didn’t have a lot of ways to connect with my heritage, and this has meant a lot to me because I’m connecting with it in the best way I know how which is through dance."
During auditions for the 2026-27 season, Kennedy combined a traditional Korean fan dance with hip-hop, saying it helped her connect with her roots.
The Eagles’ Instagram post celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month received a warm response from the community.