Kryssia Campos Selva
MS3, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
I hear an accent, where are you from?
Should I give them the long answer or the short answer I wonder...
I’m from El Salvador, I answer softly under my mask
“Oh, I have a friend from Mexico”
Mexico is not El Salvador.…
What I really want to say is
Why do you ask?
Do you ask this to everyone?
What I really want to say is
I haven’t been back to El Salvador in almost 20 years…
But this accent, it makes sure I don’t forget where I come from
This accent is a complicated topic
Years of shame
Years of trying to sound like them
Years of struggling to make these foreign words feel mine
It’s the subtle rise in heart rate when I have to talk in front of people and wonder how these words will sound this time…
What I really wish I could say is...
This accent which once felt shameful is the very thing that now makes me feel me. This accent is a complicated topic…
But I wear it proudly
A reminder that I’m not like the others
A reminder that my brain learned two languages
A reminder of my ancestors and my people
A reminder of our collective work and strength,
that has made it possible for me to stand next to you in this OR.
About the author: Kryssia was born in El Salvador and migrated to the U.S. with her family when she was 13 years old. The struggles she has faced as a queer undocumented immigrant have empowered her to get involved in advocacy and affirmed her passion for medicine. She graduated from UCLA in 2013 with a B.S in Psychobiology and is currently a third-year medical student at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Over the years, Kryssia has advocated for the rights of undocumented youth and Central American refugees. As one of the few DACA students in her program, she helps raise awareness about the challenges undocumented families face when accessing healthcare. Currently, she is involved in research to identify the barriers LGBTQ+ patients face when accessing health care and also serves on the Midwest LMSA board. Kryssia is passionate about mentorship and about challenging the systemic inequalities that affect people's health. She is committed to becoming a physician to care for and advocate for immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities.