Esmeralda Josephina Longoria is a special education teacher in Texas, born on November 7, 1972, in Corpus Christi. She is the second-oldest of Eva Longoria’s three older sisters and has spent her entire adult career working with children who have intellectual disabilities. In January 2025, Eva mentioned her on the Today show without using her name: “My mother became a special education teacher because of Liza. My other sister’s a special education teacher.” Esmeralda has never spoken to the press.
Her married name is Esmeralda Josephina Traube. Her parents, Enrique Longoria Jr. and Ella Eva Mireles, raised four daughters on a ranch outside Corpus Christi. Eva is the youngest of the four.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Esmeralda Josephina Traube (nรฉe Longoria) |
| Date of Birth | November 7, 1972 |
| Age (as of 2026) | 53 |
| Birthplace | Corpus Christi, Texas |
| Profession | Special Education Teacher, Texas |
| Married to | Scott Traube |
| Youngest Sister | Eva Longoria |
Table of Contents
Eva Longoria’s Older Sister and the Career She Chose
Eva Longoria talks openly about her family’s connection to special education. What she rarely mentions is that a second member of the family chose it as a career, with no foundation behind it and no public platform around it.
Their mother, Ella Eva Mireles, came to the work because of Liza, the oldest sister, who was born with an intellectual disability. When Liza was a child, Ella applied to be a teacher’s assistant in her class and followed her from grade to grade, making sure she was properly supported. She eventually became a certified special education teacher and spent 25 years doing that work. Eva wrote about her mother for Oprah.com: “My mother sat with her at school every day to make sure she was learning. She taught me to speak for those who are voiceless.”
Esmeralda made the same choice. She became a special education teacher in Texas and has been doing this work for her entire adult career, with no public statements about it. Eva referenced her directly on the Today show in January 2025:
“My mother became a special education teacher because of Liza. My other sister’s a special education teacher.”
Three women in one family, across two generations, all drawn toward the same work by the same person.
The Longoria Family’s History in South Texas
The Longoria family’s land in South Texas predates the United States itself. Their first ancestor to arrive in the Americas sailed from Spain in 1603.
According to research conducted for the PBS documentary series Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates Jr., that ancestor was Lorenzo Longoria. In 1767, Pedro Longoria, a seventh great-grandfather, received nearly 4,000 acres along the Rio Grande from the King of Spain. After the Texas Revolution of 1836, the border shifted south and the family’s land became part of the United States. Eva described it to The Wall Street Journal: “The land was still Mexico then, but after the Texas Revolution in 1836, the border pushed south and their land was in the U.S. So, I’m ninth-generation American.”
Esmeralda and her sisters grew up on what remains of that original property outside Corpus Christi. Nine members of the extended family lived across different sections of the land at the same time. The house the four sisters shared had one bathroom.
Their father, Enrique Longoria Jr., was a mechanical engineer at the Corpus Christi Army Depot and managed the family ranch alongside that work. He raised his daughters to be self-sufficient on the land. Eva recalled to The Beverly Hills Courier: “My dad would never let us eat fast food because we grew so many vegetables. He said there was no reason to ever eat out. We would pull carrots from the ground and just eat them.”
The Four Longoria Sisters
Esmeralda is the second of four daughters born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Oldest to youngest:
- Elizabeth “Liza” Judina Longoria (October 11, 1966): born with an intellectual disability; the oldest sister and the direct inspiration behind Eva’s Heroes
- Emily Jeannette Longoria (August 19, 1969): attorney in Texas
- Esmeralda Josephina Longoria (November 7, 1972): special education teacher in Texas
- Eva Longoria (March 15, 1975): actress, director, and philanthropist
All four daughters were given names starting with “E.” Their mother continued a naming tradition from her own family. Eva once told The Beverly Hills Courier: “My mom’s mom did that. And my mom chose to continue it. My mom’s brothers and sisters all start with an E. All my aunts, Elda, Elsa, Edna… There’s nine of them. Crazy.”
The sisters are physically quite distinct. Eva has described her three older sisters as all being blonde, while she grew up with dark hair and dark eyes. She told the Today show in March 2025: “My three sisters look alike. They are all blonde. I knew I wasn’t the pretty one.”
Esmeralda’s Two Public Appearances With Eva Longoria
Esmeralda keeps a private life, but she has stepped into public view twice for Eva.
Global Gift Gala, Marbella, Spain (July 2017)
Esmeralda and Emily joined Eva at the annual charity event on the southern coast of Spain, where Eva serves as honorary chair of the Global Gift Foundation. The gala raises funds for multiple causes, including the Eva Longoria Foundation. For Esmeralda, who keeps a private life in Texas, the trip was one of the few times she has appeared in connection with Eva’s public work.
Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony (April 16, 2018)
All four Longoria sisters attended Eva’s star ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard alongside their mother, Ella Eva Mireles. Getty Images photographed the group and listed all five family members by full name in the wire caption, one of the few times Esmeralda’s name has appeared in an official press record.
Both times, she showed up for her sister and said nothing to any reporter.
Eva’s Heroes and the Family Behind It
In 2006, Eva Longoria founded Eva’s Heroes in San Antonio, a nonprofit that supports people with intellectual disabilities aged 14 and older through activities including theater productions, drum circles, and fashion shows.
The organization was built directly around Eva’s experience growing up with Liza. Esmeralda’s work as a teacher has been part of what keeps Eva engaged in disability advocacy over the years. In a 2023 interview with People magazine, Eva said:
“I come from a family of independent, strong women. I didn’t have to look far for those role models.”
In 2024, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sรกnchez awarded Eva a $50 million grant through the Bezos Courage and Civility Award, with funds directed to the Eva Longoria Foundation and Eva’s Heroes.
The public recognition belongs to Eva, but the daily work that inspired it was divided quietly across a whole family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Esmeralda Josephina Longoria?
She is the second-oldest of Eva Longoria’s three older sisters. Born on November 7, 1972, in Corpus Christi, Texas, she has worked as a special education teacher in Texas her entire adult career. She married Scott Traube and now goes by Esmeralda Josephina Traube.
How old is Esmeralda Josephina Longoria?
She was born on November 7, 1972 and is 53 years old as of 2026.
What does Esmeralda Josephina Longoria do for a living?
She is a special education teacher in Texas. Her mother, Ella Eva Mireles, also spent 25 years as a special education teacher.
What is Esmeralda Longoria’s married name?
She married Scott Traube and now goes by Esmeralda Josephina Traube.
Did Esmeralda attend Eva Longoria’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony?
Yes. She was present at Eva Longoria’s Walk of Fame ceremony on April 16, 2018, in Hollywood, California, alongside her sisters Emily and Elizabeth and their mother.
Who are Eva Longoria’s sisters?
Eva Longoria has three older sisters: Elizabeth “Liza” Judina Longoria, Emily Jeannette Longoria, and Esmeralda Josephina Longoria. Eva is the youngest of the four.
Eva Longoria traces her philanthropic work back to the same origin in every interview: a disabled oldest sister, a mother who devoted 25 years to special education, a family that has held land in South Texas since the 1700s. Esmeralda is part of that origin, and she has never been asked to tell it herself.
