facts 001
Elias’ parents Eugenio and Charo de Traba migrated from Cuba in April of 1980 during the Mariel Boatlift. The daughter of a diplomat and Castro sympathizer, Charo was pregnant with their first child, a daughter they would name Mariposa, though the two were not married and neither of their parents knew of their plans to leave Cuba. Eugenio made his money doing odd jobs around the island, working for a boat mechanic, driving a taxi and waiting tables. The two met when her father’s yacht needed work; Charo spent the rest of the summer sunning herself on its deck while Eugenio worked below, though the two were not allowed to see each other because of the Cuban class system.

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The pair initially settled in Miami, Florida, where Eugenio had family. They lived in a small apartment while he continued to work several jobs. After their son Silverio was born, the family decided to relocate to Hialeah, coinciding with Charo’s family’s immigration under refugee status after her father fell out of favor with Castro and was summarily executed. In Hialeah, the Florida Department of Transportation opened the Tri-Rail commuter rail service. Eugenio was hired as a conductor within six months and has been with the South Florida Regional Transportation System ever since.

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Elias was born November 20, 1993 in Hialeah, though the family moved to West Palm Beach to open a Cuban restaurant in the more populated area. Soon after, Charo’s brother, Elias’ uncle Raul, was arrested for smuggling stolen antiques and rarities and deported back to Cuba. However, most of the money made from his business is still filtered illegally through the restaurant, making it appear hugely successful. Silverio has since opened a second restaurant location in Brandon, Florida. Elias has been waiting tables at the restaurant and helping in the kitchen since he was 14 years old.

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The family was always intensely involved in the Roman Catholic church, and as such, Charo and Eugenio did not use birth control. Late in 1997, nearly five years after Elias was born, Charo began to feel the familiar aches in her breasts and the fatigue that marked another pregnancy, and this time it was twins. At 45 years old, the pregnancy was risky on its own, and there were complications. Though she spent the final two months on bed rest, she was able to carry the babies to full term. Rudi and Riza joined the family on January 11 and 12, 1998.

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Charo’s body never quite recovered from that final pregnancy. In 1999, she was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and an emergency hysterectomy was performed. She has since been declared in remission with no further problems. Mariposa and Silverio took on many of the household’s responsibilities, caring for the younger siblings while Eugenio was at work and Charo slept. During that time, Elias became extremely close to Mari despite the age difference. He’s incredibly fond of her and considers her his favorite sibling.

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Elias was raised with much respect for the struggles and sacrifices of his family, and as such always made extra effort to perform well academically. During high school, he balanced a course load that included honors classes and AP credits in hopes of earning a full ride scholarship somewhere. After Mari and Sara both attended college out of state, there was not enough money to go around for the younger siblings unless they earned it themselves, and that’s exactly what Elias did.

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Despite being grossly talented in the visual arts, he knew he needed to attend school for something more practical. With his parents’ pressure and encouragement, Elias applied for Virginia Tech’s pre-vet Animal and Poultry Sciences program. With all of his Advanced Placement credits, Elias was able to skip most of the first year classes other freshmen had to take, allowing him to take a 2nd major in Art History, which has transitioned over the years to being mostly studio art classes.

008
Being away from his family for the first time, Elias felt like he was in a sort of free fall, struggling to find the camaraderie and easy socialization that came with living in such close quarters with so many people. He became close with his roommate, Austin, and eventually the two decided to rush several fraternities, each getting bids for Beta Theta. Accepting the bid, he moved into the frat house, immediately acclimating to the busier environment. His sophomore year, the fraternity was put on probation for an alcohol violation, after which the social chair was asked to step down. Elias was nominated as his replacement given his involvement with the fraternity's philanthropy and willingness to help get the Beta Thetas back on track. He gladly accepted the role and has been working diligently to make sure they're reinstated in September, using his connections inside their sister sorority to "co-host" events at their house instead.

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He met Ciro Garcia in the fall of 2014 by chance after stealing the seat behind him in class. Finding himself distracted by the other's looks, he drew him over and over from various angles in his notebook, a fact that was discovered by Ciro a few weeks into the semester. It was the catalyst for a passionate courtship as they began pursuing each other. Though Elias had always known that he was somewhat attracted to other men, he had never actively sought a partnership with one. Their relationship is nontraditional; Ciro is polyamorous and has other partners. Elias is still adjusting, so there are some growing pains and mistakes to be made.

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Though the entire de Traba clan is bilingual and can speak English perfectly, Spanish is the main language spoken in their home, especially around Elias’ abuela, who’s still very much an old world traditionalist. He also speaks French fluently and knows a little Russian.