Meet the Herrera Family:

The Boys:

The eldest boy was Albert “Chivo” Herrera Jr. He was an incredibly bright and insightful child who was tough and rowdy. But he also had a gentle and protective of his family side to him. Legend says that when he came from San Antonio, Texas, 20 cars with his friends followed him to Austin. He was a hell-raiser and would put fear in the eyes of his enemies.

The next eldest boy is Martin “Tepo” Herrera. He was another challenging and gentle soul who could heal most people with his loving and caring spirit. He protected my grandparents and his family to the point of reaching extremes. He enjoyed watching games and drinking beers on the weekend. He was a carpenter by trade and made a good living until the carpentry industry changed. So, he found a good-paying job with the state and has since retired.

The next eldest brother, Carlos “Kid” Herrera, was a tough and rowdy one in his youth until he was shot and became paralyzed. But he never succumbed to self-pity. He was the family hero, working two jobs and amassing a fortune. He had a gentle heart and a witty humor, and he always visited our grandmother every weekend. The boys would gather to watch college football and NFL games, with the drinking starting at noon.

The next eldest brother is my father, Paul “Batman” Herrera. His nickname came from the car he bought, which looked like the batmobile. So, the name stuck. He is witty and sharp-minded, and his mindful operations make these conceptual visions of thoughts natural. He was also a protector and tough guy who loved his family enough to die for them.

The next eldest brother is Emilio “Burro” Herrera. He was in the Air Force and ranked as a Tech Sargent. He was an MP and participated in the first Gulf War in the 1990s. His friendliness is as warm as a solar flare but can also be a burning sensation boiling you. He is known for his originality, authenticity, humor, and stubbornness.

The next eldest brother was Alfred “Titi” Herrera. He was a joyous and optimistic uncle who loved to talk and drink beer. He was known for his humor and endless insights into life situations. Unfortunately, we lost him a few years ago in a car accident.

The next eldest brother is Robert “Cashy Lee” Herrera. He prefers Bobby over Robert James Herrera as he is one of the best uncles in our family. He is humorous, intelligent, practical, and a great communicator. He used to play fast-pitch softball with a team called the Jokers, who were his buddies. We used to watch the team play on the East Side of Austin.

The next eldest brother is Roger “Bad Girl” Herrera. He prefers “Bad Girl” since he is gay and proud of it. He has worked for the same government job for over two decades. He is playful, sympathetic to most people, and has raw and sarcastic humor.

Finally, the youngest brother is Jerry “ Baby Blue” Herrera. He has Down Syndrome and finished high school successfully. He is the special one out of the brothers and sisters. His playful attitude of believing the cars he sits in alone is the General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard, one of his favorite television shows. His favorite drink is Coke, and his favorite food is my grandmother’s homemade cooking, especially the homemade tortillas. Since my grandmother passed away years ago, he prefers to go to Mexican restaurants, where he still eats with ketchup on his eggs.

The Girls:

The eldest sister is Benita Hernandez, a remarkable woman of stature and beauty. Her presence is the family's demand for attention even though she doesn’t ask for it from her family members. She is known as a woman of profound experiences and wisdom with a gentle but stern demeanor regarding things that align with the family’s objectives and goals. However, she does not play games or has time to pussy-foot around any bull shit.

The next eldest sister is Carmen Estrada, who is a source of strength and comfort. Her values are based on family-oriented beliefs and convictions. Her no-nonsense demeanor and attitude comfort and engender respect from all of the family, regardless of the brothers and sisters but, more importantly, the children of her family members. She has a profound depth of emotional resourcefulness and possesses remarkable resilience in the face of adversity.

The next eldest sister is Mary “Cook” Contreras, who is the source of warmth and genuine sincerity. Her place in the family is known as one who possesses a strong voice of reason and analytical skills, although she doesn’t take any form of bull shit too. It is like this with all the sisters as they form the central core and foundation of the family. Yet, Tia Cook has a pleasant demeanor and warm character until she is compromised with vicious behavior and transgressions against the family, especially her children.

The next eldest sister is Roseann Eufracio, a no-nonsense woman with great values and morals in the family. She leads with a reforming spirit but with the mind of a genius. Often, she is hardly regarded as the most esteemed and respected sister who married an outstanding husband. She is known for spreading the truth around the family based on her perceptions of things that are not known on the surface.

The next eldest sister is Bebe Solis, a well-known court reporter in the Austin judicial system. Her education from an expensive and well-known local university provided an outstanding career for her children and husband. She is kind and shy until she gets to know you, and then when she opens up, people learn to respect her significantly and follow her commands and instructions since she’s a leader from her judicial experience.

The next eldest sister is Christina “Kep” Riojas, the most intelligent sister. Her outstanding analytical skills are lethal when she sees “the field” in everything she does, but she can be skeptical sometimes. Yet, it does not matter since her intelligence is beyond ordinary comprehension. She is known as a social butterfly with the grace of an angel but can depress her wings to fan out a fire erupted by a demonic presence in front of her.

The next eldest sister, Marina Morita, possesses a contagious laugh and playful nature. Her attitude toward life is as impressive as her intelligence. She keeps an optimistic outlook no matter what hurricane comes her way. She is known as the center of the family where. No matter what is thrown at our family, there she is, throwing a laugh and sincere opinion on the direction the family should take when confronting problem people.

Finally, the youngest sister is Delores Herrera who is the voice of the family as she represents the opinion of the majority as she is not afraid to confront anyone since she works in the law enforcement sector. Her one true passion in life is listening to Duran Duran, which all of the family teases and keeps reminding her about. She has a playful attitude when she is the mood but when crossed she can be lethal too.