I thought about several different ways to introduce myself – I played around with something creative and then something fun – but in the end I just decided that a simple hello might suffice.
My name is Daisy Zavala Magaña and I grew up in Wenatchee. Daughter to immigrants from Michoacán, Mexico, I spent my summers working in cherry fields, like many other first-generation kids.
This opened my eyes to many things at a young age: class division, racism and labor exploitation.
I’ve covered farmworkers and labor extensively, including for RANGE as a freelancer, since I began my career in journalism in Washington around 2020. I’m joining you after spending a little over two years working as a local journalist in the US-Mexico border community of Ambos Nogales, which encompasses Nogales, Arizona, and the neighboring Mexican city in Sonora sharing the same name.
During my time on the border, I learned much about the interconnectedness of the two cities, as well as from the border theatrics by officials, and from the lived experiences of migrants, deportees and asylum-seekers. I found just as much value in witnessing the real impact of harmful immigration policies under both Democratic and Republican leadership and the parachute journalism that accompanies shifts in the news cycle. It was a formative time for me as a journalist.
But I’m excited to get to work in Spokane, which is where my career in journalism started with two internships at The Spokesman while I was a student at Washington State University. After graduating, I worked at The Seattle Times for a bit before heading to the border to work for The Nogales International, where I was the only reporter for a time.
Now that I’m back in my homestate, I’m ready to dive into stories that touch on immigration, labor, equity and whatever else our community needs to be covered.
I would also love recommendations for books, music, local coffee spots and good food. On a personal note, I also enjoy sudoku and learning how to play the acoustic guitar.
Reach me at daisy@rangemedia.co or on Bluesky.
