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Rivera Family Tree

The Rivera family is a Puerto Rican family whose migration generation moved directly from Ponce, Puerto Rico, to Jackson Heights, Queens, in summer 2009. Juan and Reina arrived with Carlos Santiago “Charlie” Rivera, who had been born in Ponce on November 3, 2007, and was nearly two at the time of the move. Samuel David “Sam” Rivera was born in Jackson Heights on August 28, 2009. The family’s documented generations span the late twentieth century through the twenty-first, with the New York-raised generation including Charlie, a saxophonist, composer, and disability advocate, and Sam, an adolescent-medicine physician. Their Jackson Heights apartment was the cultural center of the family’s New York era. Around 2032, Charlie purchased the Whitestone house for his parents with Juan’s arthritis and changing mobility in mind.

The Hartley family enters the Rivera lineage through Sam’s marriage to Skye Mei Hartley Rivera, a Japanese American and White American clinical psychologist whose own family roots trace to the San Francisco Bay Area. Their children, Nico Santiago Juan Rivera and Sora Mei Rivera, are the first Rivera-Hartley grandchildren and the first generation of the family to carry both Boricua and Japanese-American heritage.

Quick Reference

Rivera Family Tree

Four documented generations of the Rivera family, from the Ponce migration generation through the NYC-raised Charlie and Sam, plus the Hartley in-laws who join via Sam's marriage to Skye and the first Rivera-Hartley grandchildren.

graph TD
    lourdes["Lourdes Rivera<br/>Cultural keeper of the Boricua musical and religious lineage"]
    juan_father["Juan&#x27;s father"]
    reina_mother["Reina&#x27;s mother"]
    reina_father["Reina&#x27;s father"]
    juan["Juan Rivera<br/>b. 1973-08-07<br/>Skilled trades (construction); arthritis ended working career"]
    reina["Reina Rivera<br/>b. 1975-10-14"]
    yuki["Yuki Hartley"]
    eric["Eric Hartley<br/>Apple employee"]
    charlie["Carlos Santiago &quot;Charlie&quot; Rivera<br/>2007-11-03-2081<br/>Complications of chronic illness, age 73"]
    logan["Logan Weston<br/>2008-02-28-2081"]
    sam["Samuel David &quot;Sam&quot; Rivera<br/>b. 2009-08-28<br/>Adolescent Medicine Physician; author (memoir on the healthy-sibling experience)"]
    skye["Skye Mei Hartley Rivera<br/>b. 2009<br/>Clinical Psychologist (Ph.D., Yale), Child and Adolescent Specialty"]
    owen["Owen Kai Hartley"]
    nico["Nico Santiago Juan Rivera<br/>b. ~2038"]
    sora["Sora Mei Rivera<br/>b. ~2040-2041"]
    lourdes --> juan
    juan_father --> juan
    reina_mother --> reina
    reina_father --> reina
    juan --> charlie
    reina --> charlie
    juan --> sam
    reina --> sam
    yuki --> skye
    eric --> skye
    yuki --> owen
    eric --> owen
    sam --> nico
    skye --> nico
    sam --> sora
    skye --> sora
    juan -.spouse.-> reina
    yuki -.spouse.-> eric
    charlie -.spouse.-> logan
    sam -.spouse.-> skye
Text equivalent of the family tree (structured nested list)
  • Lourdes Rivera
    • Charlie’s paternal grandmother; her record collection (Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Fania All-Stars) seeded Charlie’s musical ear. Gave Charlie the crucifix that became his most treasured personal item.
    • Juan Rivera (b. 1973-08-07, Skilled trades (construction); arthritis ended working career)
      • The quiet one; communicates through action rather than words. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico; moved directly to Jackson Heights with Reina and nearly two-year-old Charlie in summer 2009; later moved to Whitestone after Charlie purchased the family home around 2032. Initially minimized Charlie’s symptoms but gradually became an active advocate and support.
      • Married to Reina Rivera (b. 1975-10-14)
      • Carlos Santiago “Charlie” Rivera (2007-11-03-2081, Complications of chronic illness, age 73)
        • Nonbinary (he/they, unlabeled); gay/queer; chronically ill from childhood. Married Logan Weston in 2036; both died three days apart in 2081. Godfather and Tío Charlie to the CRATB-and-extended-family next generation.
        • Married to Logan Weston (2008-02-28-2081) (from Weston-Family-Tree)
          • Charlie’s husband; married into the Rivera family and remained a Weston. First in the Weston line to survive LAD blockage (2058).
      • Samuel David “Sam” Rivera (b. 2009-08-28, Adolescent Medicine Physician; author (memoir on the healthy-sibling experience))
        • Pansexual; “the easier child” of his generation, carrying the weight of being neurotypical in a chronic-illness household.
        • Married to Skye Mei Hartley Rivera (b. 2009, Clinical Psychologist (Ph.D., Yale), Child and Adolescent Specialty)
        • Nico Santiago Juan Rivera (b. ~2038)
          • First Rivera-Hartley grandchild. Named for paternal grandfather Juan Rivera and paternal uncle Charlie’s middle name (Santiago).
        • Sora Mei Rivera (b. ~2040-2041)
          • Middle name “Mei” carries the Hartley side’s Japanese-American lineage (also Skye’s middle name).
  • Juan’s father
    • Lourdes’s husband; Juan’s father.
  • Reina’s mother
    • Charlie’s maternal grandmother.
    • Reina Rivera (b. 1975-10-14)
      • Calm, firm, immovable through medical crises; fierce advocate for Charlie within medical systems that dismissed her son’s pain because of her Spanish accent and her family’s surname.
      • Married to Juan Rivera (b. 1973-08-07, Skilled trades (construction); arthritis ended working career)
  • Reina’s father
    • Charlie’s maternal grandfather.
  • Yuki Hartley
    • Skye’s Japanese American mother. Sora and Nico’s maternal grandmother.
    • Married to Eric Hartley
      • Skye’s father; white American. Sora and Nico’s maternal grandfather.
    • Skye Mei Hartley Rivera (b. 2009, Clinical Psychologist (Ph.D., Yale), Child and Adolescent Specialty)
      • Japanese American and White American; raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Married into the Rivera family.
      • Married to Samuel David “Sam” Rivera (b. 2009-08-28, Adolescent Medicine Physician; author (memoir on the healthy-sibling experience))
    • Owen Kai Hartley
      • Skye’s brother; Charlie and Sam’s brother-in-law via Sam’s marriage to Skye.

Overview

The documented Rivera and Hartley lines trace through Ponce on the Rivera side and the San Francisco Bay Area and Japan on the Hartley side.

Generational Structure

Grandparents of Charlie and Sam

Rivera (paternal) side

Lourdes Rivera (Charlie’s paternal grandmother; Juan’s mother) - The cultural keeper of the family’s Boricua musical and religious lineage - Played Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, and Fania All-Stars records throughout Charlie’s childhood; her listening habits formed the foundation of his musical ear - The crucifix she gave Charlie became his most treasured personal item; he wore it always (see Charlie Rivera (Preferences and Trivia)) - Her saint-name carries the Marian devotional weight typical of her generation of Puerto Rican women - Affectionate forms: Abuela, Abuela Lourdes, Lulú (when used by family)

Juan’s father (Charlie’s paternal grandfather) - Lourdes’s husband; Juan’s father

Rivera (maternal) side

Reina’s mother was Charlie and Sam’s maternal grandmother.

Reina’s father was Charlie and Sam’s maternal grandfather.

Parents of Charlie, Sam, Skye, and Owen

Rivera household

Juan Rivera (b. August 7, 1973) - Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico; moved directly from Ponce to Jackson Heights, Queens, with Reina and nearly two-year-old Charlie in summer 2009; later moved to Whitestone after Charlie purchased the family home around 2032 - Married: Reina Rivera - Children: Carlos Santiago “Charlie” Rivera, Samuel David “Sam” Rivera - Career: skilled trades (construction); arthritis ended the working career as he aged - Character: “the quiet one”; communicates through action rather than words; initially minimized Charlie’s symptoms, then gradually joined Reina in documentation, care-seeking, household adaptation, and active support - Languages: Spanish (native), English (fluent) - Status: Living - See: Juan Rivera biography

Reina Rivera (b. October 14, 1975) - Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico; moved directly from Ponce to Jackson Heights, Queens, with Juan and nearly two-year-old Charlie in summer 2009; later moved to Whitestone - Married: Juan Rivera - Children: Carlos Santiago “Charlie” Rivera, Samuel David “Sam” Rivera - Character: “calm, firm, immovable” through medical crises; fierce advocate for Charlie within medical systems that dismissed her son’s pain because of her Spanish accent and her family’s surname - Languages: Spanish (native), English (fluent, with accent) - Status: Living - See: Reina Rivera biography

Hartley household

Yuki Hartley - Married: Eric Hartley - Children: Skye Mei Hartley Rivera, Owen Kai Hartley - Cultural background: Japanese American - Status: Living

Eric Hartley - Married: Yuki Hartley - Children: Skye Mei Hartley Rivera, Owen Kai Hartley - Career: Apple employee - Cultural background: White American - Status: Living

Charlie, Sam, Skye, Logan, and Owen

Carlos Santiago “Charlie” Rivera (b. November 3, 2007—d. 2081) - Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico; moved with Juan and Reina to Jackson Heights in summer 2009, when he was nearly two - Parents: Juan Rivera, Reina Rivera - Sibling: Samuel “Sam” Rivera (younger brother) - Married: Logan Weston (2036; both deceased 2081, three days apart) - Children: None biological; godfather and chosen-family uncle (Tío Charlie) to the CRATB-and-extended-family next generation including Clara Keller, Lia Cruz, and others - Career: saxophonist, composer, producer, disability advocate, founder of Rising Notes Music Camp; member of CRATB - Identity: Nonbinary (he/they, unlabeled); gay/queer; Puerto Rican; chronically ill from childhood through death - Residences across the lifespan: Jackson Heights, Queens (childhood); Brooklyn (adult years, including the Fort Greene condo and Band House); Baltimore (later years, primary) - See: Charlie Rivera biography

Logan Weston (b. February 28, 2008—d. 2081) - Charlie’s husband (married 2036) - Married into the Rivera family and remained a member of the Weston family - See: Logan Weston biography and Weston Family Tree

Samuel David “Sam” Rivera (b. August 28, 2009) - Born in Jackson Heights, Queens, shortly after the family’s summer 2009 move from Ponce - Parents: Juan Rivera, Reina Rivera - Sibling: Charlie (older brother) - Married: Skye Mei Hartley Rivera - Children: Nico Santiago Juan Rivera (~2038), Sora Mei Rivera (~2040-2041) - Career: Adolescent Medicine Physician; author (memoir on the healthy-sibling experience) - Identity: Pansexual; Puerto Rican; the “easier child” of his generation, carrying the weight of being neurotypical in a chronic-illness household - Residences: Jackson Heights, Queens (childhood); Cambridge, Massachusetts (Harvard undergrad); New York City and beyond (medical training and adulthood); Washington Heights, NYC (adult home) - See: Samuel Rivera biography

Skye Mei Hartley Rivera (b. ~2009) - Sam’s wife; married into the Rivera family - Parents: Yuki Hartley, Eric Hartley - Sibling: Owen Kai Hartley - Children: Nico Santiago Juan Rivera, Sora Mei Rivera - Career: Clinical Psychologist (Ph.D., Yale), Child and Adolescent Specialty - Identity: Japanese American and White American; grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area - Residence: Washington Heights, NYC (adult) - See: Skye Rivera biography

Owen Kai Hartley was Skye’s brother and Charlie and Sam’s brother-in-law through Sam’s marriage to Skye.

Rivera-Hartley Grandchildren

Nico Santiago Juan Rivera (b. ~2038) - Parents: Sam Rivera, Skye Rivera - Sibling: Sora Mei Rivera - Named for: paternal grandfather Juan Rivera and paternal uncle Charlie’s middle name (Santiago) - The first Rivera-Hartley grandchild

Sora Mei Rivera (b. ~2040-2041) - Parents: Sam Rivera, Skye Rivera - Sibling: Nico Santiago Juan Rivera - Middle name “Mei” carries the Hartley side’s Japanese-American lineage (also Skye’s middle name)

Family Patterns

Main article: Rivera Household

Puerto Rican and Nuyorican life: The Rivera household in Queens was bilingual. Charlie and Sam grew up using English and Spanish, with Spanish especially prominent in family interactions, endearments, and moments of vulnerability. The family’s language use changed with speaker, setting, access, and circumstance rather than dividing neatly into emotional and institutional roles. Lourdes’s record collection—Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, and the Fania All-Stars—became part of Charlie’s musical formation.

Chronic illness in the household: Charlie’s progressive chronic illness shaped the family from childhood. Reina documented symptoms and advocated through repeated episodes of dismissal; Juan initially minimized their severity and later joined her in care-seeking, documentation, and adaptation. Sam occupied the position of the sibling with fewer immediate medical needs. The household’s experience of medical advocacy later informed Charlie’s disability-justice work.

Working-Class to Educated-Professional Generational Movement: The Rivera lineage in New York moved from migrant skilled-trades work (Juan in construction) to elite education and professional careers in a single generation (Charlie at Juilliard, Sam at Harvard and Columbia Med). Both sons’ professional trajectories were funded partly by the family’s working-class sacrifices and partly by institutional scholarship pipelines available to high-achieving New York City public-school students; Charlie attended LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, and Sam attended Stuyvesant High School.

Whitestone House as Reciprocal Care: Around 2032, Charlie purchased the Whitestone house for his parents and designed it specifically around Juan’s arthritis and Charlie’s wheelchair access. The first-floor primary suite, step-free main level, widened doorways, and adapted fixtures inverted the usual generational direction of care: the disabled son used his own access knowledge to provide a home that worked for his father’s changing mobility and hand function. The house is the family’s clearest material expression of the mutual-care principle that runs through the Rivera lineage.

Boricua Warmth Across Cultural Difference: The marriages that brought Logan Weston (Black American, raised in Baltimore) and Skye Rivera (Japanese American and White American, Bay Area) into the Rivera family were both cross-cultural unions that the Rivera household absorbed without requiring the new family members to assimilate. Reina’s “mijo” extended naturally to Logan; the family’s Spanish and English coexistence expanded to accommodate occasional Japanese on Skye’s side. The Rivera household has operated, since the marriages, as a multi-cultural family in which the Boricua core remains intact while the in-laws’ cultural traditions are honored alongside.

Family Trees Rivera Family Puerto Rican Characters