Attorney Magnolia Zárraga

Thank you for visiting my webpage. Let me tell you a bit about myself. I am a proud Central Coast Native Immigration Attorney. I was born and raised in Salinas California. I am fluently bilingual in English and Spanish.

My grandfather, Juan, worked as a bracero and traveled often between Mexico and the US to work in the fields. My grandfather & grandmother, Carolina, eventually brought my mother, Margarita to the US along with her 12 brothers and sisters. My father, Carlos from a large family of 12 also came to the US as an immigrant seeking a better life. My parents married and established their lives in Salinas California.

My parents worked hard like so many immigrants, they worked in the celery, broccoli, strawberry fields, and florerias, and they also took English classes at night. This is something that I know was very hard for them, after a long day working in the fields, studying English was difficult. But they made the sacrifice because they knew doing so would provide them an opportunity to get out of the back breaking ag work. I remember my mom taking me to work with her many times. My parents struggled like many other immigrants but with their dedication and sacrifice they managed to learn English, and that opened up employment opportunities for them outside of working in the fields. My parents accomplished their American Dream, they are now proud US Citizens. My father was a successful local business owner, and my mother was an analyst for Monterey County. I am honored that they both have decided to retire from their respective jobs to come work with me at my immigration law office in Salinas.

A very strong memory I have is of my mom volunteering with local non-profits, teaching ESL classes to others and helping people fill out citizenship applications and explaining forms and letters to those that didn’t understand English. To date, my mother’s continued community involvement & her desire to assist others continues to inspire me to do the same.

My sister Christabelle was the first in our family to attend college, she graduated with her B.A. from UC Santa Cruz and she went on to receive her Masters Degree in Social Work from San Jose State University. Wanting to follow my big sister’s example, I graduated Magna Cum Laude with my B.A. in Social Work from Cal State Monterey Bay and shortly thereafter I obtained my Juris Doctorate from Monterey College of Law.

I am a proud mother of a beautiful, engaged, loving, intelligent, daughter named Nyelli. My daughter frequently accompanies me when I speak on immigration issues in the community.

I work in immigration because I love it. I love that what I do every single day has a direct positive effect on the lives of my clients and their families. I am passionate about what I do and I value my family, my community, hard work, life long learning, and social justice. The trust my clients place in me and my family’s enduring support have been instrumental in my success.

I previously worked for other reputable law firms before realizing my dream and opening my own immigration practice in my hometown of Salinas in 2008. In 2022 I relocated my office to 114 Church St. Salinas CA 93901, just steps away from the Salinas Courthouse.