Alice Bulos, ‘grand dame’ of Filipino-American politics, dies at 86

Filipino-American community leader Alice Bulos, a resident of South San Francisco, died on Friday at the age of 86.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said in a statement:

“With the passing of Alice Bulos, the Filipino community has lost a great advocate and leader. Fondly named the Grand Dame of Filipino American Politics, Alice served the community for nearly half a century.”

Bulos advocated for the rights of Filipino veterans of World War II and represented California at the Democratic National Convention five times, Lee said.

President Bill Clinton appointed Bulos to the Federal Council on Aging in 1993. She was also a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging in 1995, Lee said>

“She unified Filipino American politics, understanding how powerful the collective voice could be in advocating for the community. She made raising that voice easier through the Filipino American Grassroots Movement, a voter registration drive to bring more Filipinos into the political process.”

Lee added:

“To ensure her legacy did not end with her, she mentored young leaders to continue advocating for those who could not advocate for themselves.”