As an SNF Paideia fellow, Salvador is enthusiastic about learning the skills, theory, and practice of dialogue across difference to give back to communities like the one he grew up in. Coming from a predominantly Latino community with Mexican parents in Chicago, IL, Salvador has first-hand experience of what it is to live in a minority community. As a fellow, he hopes to serve as a resource to better understand methods for approaching Latino populations. He would like to be an advocate for minority communities and increase their agency to impact the world around them. As a future male nurse, Salvador will be able to contribute new insights to the healthcare field and serve as a resource for others.
As a child, Salvador travelled between the United States and Mexico frequently. This bi-cultural experience emphasized the difference in communication styles between his Latino neighborhood in the U.S., where conflict was not dealt with through open communication, and in Mexico, where dialogue was embraced to resolve problems. Furthermore, he witnessed a divisiveness between different regions in Mexico.
Since my grandparents live in a rancho, the barriers that exist between the urban and rural areas of Mexico became more evident as I grew up. Cultivating the practice of dialogue would allow me to advocate for minority communities in the future.
Salvador started his advocacy work in high school where he was the President of Latinos Juntos, a Latinx organization very active in outreach about COVID-19 resources to otherwise cut off communities.
Salvador sees the connection between the SNF Paideia Program’s pillars and his career path as a healthcare worker and he looks forward to integrating dialogue, wellness, citizenship and service into his academic studies.