In partnership with
Gustavo Arellano
In this deeply personal episode of The Latino Newsletter podcast and in honor of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, host Michelle Zacarias sits down with LA Times columnist Gustavo Arellano for a heartfelt conversation about colonoscopies, colorectal cancer, and the personal losses and health scares that changed how they think about early detection.
Michelle shares her story as a colorectal cancer survivor and the challenges she faced from diagnosis through recovery. Gustavo reflects on losing his mother to cancer and how that loss profoundly influenced the way he approaches his own health today. Together, they discuss the importance of regular screenings, why colonoscopies shouldn’t be taboo in Latino communities, and how early detection can truly save lives.
Warning: This episode includes some graphic descriptions.
This episode of The Latino Newsletter podcast was produced by Joaquín Cotler, Juan Diego Ramírez, and Michelle Zacarias. Julio Ricardo Varela edited the conversation. The music is by Cast of Characters via Soundstripe.
Season 2 of The Latino Newsletter podcast was made possible through individual donations and the Latino Media Consortium.
We are already raising funds for Season 3 of our podcast. Give to us anytime!
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What We’re Reading (and Watching)
Journalist Detained by ICE: Via The Nashville Banner, “A reporter who faced death threats in her home country could now be sent back by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Nashville Noticias staffer Estefany Rodríguez was detained by ICE in South Nashville on Wednesday morning. There was no warrant for her arrest. Her attorneys have filed an emergency petition in federal court seeking a writ of habeas corpus, or an immediate review of whether or not her detention is legal.”
Meet The Latino Newsletter: Our team did a 2026 Spring Funder Briefing, and we wanted to share it with our community. If you have any questions or are interested in helping us, please contact Christina Hernández at [email protected].
We also have some weekend news. Our team will be in Puerto Rico this weekend to work on the American Colony podcast.
And we plan to publish an opinion piece from contributor Mauro Morales either Saturday or Sunday, so stay tuned.
Happy weekend from all of us at The Latino Newsletter.
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