Nikki Fortunato Bas, Rockwood alum and director of EBASE, highlighted in SF Chronicle

Throughout her career in nonprofit advocacy work, Bas has focused on labor rights, especially for garment workers in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Bas grew up in Virginia, raised by Filipino immigrants. As a young girl, she was conscious of growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood.

"Back in the '70s and '80s when I was growing up, people didn't really understand Asian or Latino immigrants very well because there weren't very many of us. That difference - how people were treated because of race - has really stuck with me," Bas said.

"One of the reasons I'm really committed to working on economic justice issues is because I've seen the disparities in how people are treated," she added. It was a concept that haunted her as she grew up. ....read more