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 gifts ⁠ and The Latino Media Consortium.