Alex Zaragoza

Los Angeles

Contributing Columnist at Los Angeles Times

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Articles

The scary but lifesaving truth about Latinas and breast cancer

1 week ago | latimes.com | Alex Zaragoza

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Latinas. Testing for breast density and other risk factors can save lives. Last year, at 39 years old, I learned I had dense breasts. It was information told to me almost in passing as I received my first mammogram and ultrasound. What it meant and how it could affect me was not communicated to me; I learned about it the hard way, nine months later, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
I Missed My Breast Cancer Signs-Now I Help Others Detect Theirs

3 weeks ago | huffpost.com | Alex Zaragoza

I sent dozens of women videos of my breasts recently. On Feb. 27, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Specifically, Stage 3A invasive ductal carcinoma that spread from my right breast to the lymph nodes in my armpit. The news, initially delivered via notification through my hospital’s portal while I was watching an old episode of “Love Island UK,” hit me like a truck. I hit pause on a challenge involving whipped cream and a slip-n-slide to sob into my boyfriend’s chest. I’m only 40.
Contributor: What Selena's murder says about our fascination with death

3 weeks ago | latimes.com | Alex Zaragoza

Selena may be long gone from this earth, but in 2025, she is far from absent. Her face and signature appear on countless products, ranging from dolls and makeup to an ethically murky . Her story, both inspirational and tragic, has been told in film, television, salacious docuseries and in-depth documentaries, including which premiered at the recent South by Southwest.
Remember This Banger: Selena's 'Dreaming of You'

3 weeks ago | latimes.com | Alex Zaragoza

Before Selena Quintanilla was murdered on March 31, 1995, she was on the precipice of something big — the culmination of all her grinding and hustling in the Tejano music scene was about to send her into another stratosphere. The 23-year-old Grammy winner had already accomplished so much in her short life, becoming a beloved figure among those who wore Stetson hats and frequented rodeos. But just when the promise of more was on the horizon, Selena’s light was snuffed out.
Millie Bobby Brown’s Bullies Are an Institutional Problem

1 month ago | bloomberg.com | Alex Zaragoza

The actress was right to call out the journalists who body-shamed her, but the issue is bigger than the writers. British actress Millie Bobby Brown is in the middle of a busy press tour for her latest film, Netflix Inc.’s Sci-fi adventure The Electric State. It should be an exciting time, but one of the uglier sides of media culture has dampened the mood. Since Brown is promoting her project, she is being photographed endlessly.
In praise of Gabby Windey, 'Traitors' winner and Latina queen

1 month ago | latimes.com | Alex Zaragoza

Gabby Windey was the epitome of poise at last week’s round table on hit TV series “The Traitors.” In the campy, murder mystery-inspired game show, reality TV stars and more questionable public figures — Zac Efron’s brother is a contestant, as well as a random British aristocrat — must sniff out who among them is a “traitor” among “faithfuls.“Contestants set their sights on Windey, former “Bachelorette” star and podcaster, in hopes of booting her from the competition.
In praise of Gabby Windey, 'Traitors' winner and Latina queen

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Alex Zaragoza

(Photo illustration by Diana Ramirez/De Los; photos by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP.) Gabby Windey was the epitome of poise at last week’s round table on hit TV series “The Traitors.” In the campy, murder mystery-inspired game show, reality TV stars and more questionable public figures — Zac Efron’s brother is a contestant, as well as a random British aristocrat — must sniff out who among them is a “traitor” among “faithfuls.“ Contestants set their sights on Windey, former "Bachelorette" star...
Zoe Saldaña’s Oscar Speech Was Missing Something Big

1 month ago | bloomberg.com | Alex Zaragoza

The actress took home a trophy for “Emilia Pérez,” but alienated trans and Mexican people — the film’s focus — in the process. Zoe Saldaña’s Best Supporting Actress win at the Academy Awards was not a surprise. It was the final stop in what was an awards-season sweep any actor dreams of accomplishing, and her tears throughout have shown how meaningful the awards are for her as a Latinx woman.
Paquita la del Barrio remembered by fans, drag queens

2 months ago | latimes.com | Alex Zaragoza

Periodically, the Latinx Files will feature a guest writer. This week, we’ve asked De Los contributing columnist Alex Zaragoza to fill in. If you have not subscribed to our weekly newsletter, you can do so here. The world has lost its greatest soldier against machistas, malagradecidos and inútiles. Música Mexicana legend Paquita la del Barrio died in her home in Veracruz, Mexico, announced in a heartfelt statement released via her on Feb. 17. She was 77.
Column: Why the Rock Hall Needs to Induct Maná

2 months ago | latimes.com | Alex Zaragoza

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is breaking new ground with this year’s nominees for induction — and the señoras and rockeros among us couldn’t be more excited. Yesterday, the Rock Hall , including Oasis, Phish, Mariah Carey, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper and Joy Division/New Order. It’s been a long time coming for these nominees, but one nomination in particular stands out in significance: the monumental rock en español band Maná, which would be the first primarily Spanish-language act inducted.