It’s 1981 on Story and King Road in San José, and you are serenaded by “Computer Love” by Zapp, enticed by the smell of asada being grilled for tacos and dozens of modified cars are cruising the streets.
This is one of the most influential epicenters of lowrider culture: San José, California, according to the United Lowrider Council of San José.
Lowriding has had a long history of cultural significance to the Chicanx community and beyond, ranging from LA all the way to Japan, as reported in articles by CNN and the Los Angeles Times.
San José State students Sonny Madrid, Larry Gonzalez and David Nunes released the first-ever issue of Lowrider Magazine in 1977, according to the United Lowrider Council of San José webpage.
John Ulloa, the dean for language arts and social sciences at West Valley College, is a lowrider studies expert.
“The history of lowriding in San José did not begin with Lowrider Magazine,” Ulloa said. “Lowrider Magazine happened in response to what was happening, not only in San José, but in barrios all over the southwest.”
Ulloa said barrios, predominantly Spanish-speaking communities, all over California were creating spaces for modified cars with cultural aspects to be ridden as slow and low as possible.
Not only was it centered around these creative vehicles, it was a place where Mexican-Americans felt a sense of belonging to their community and proud to be who they are.
“Lowriding is the rolling articulation of chicanismo. It's chicanismo on wheels,” Ulloa said.
In 1988, California approved a measure that prohibited lowriding state-wide in an effort to diminish lowrider culture across the nation, according to a Tuesday article from KCRA 3.
After decades of police brutality and a negative portrayal of lowrider clubs and barrios in general, the lowriding community and politicians lobbied for a lifting of the ban, according to the same article.
On October 21 2023, their efforts succeeded with California Governor Gavin Newsom approving to revoke the measure passed 40 years ago, according to KCRA 3.
“Lowriding is at its apex right now. It's the most popular it's ever been . . . and social media has been the catalyst for its exponential growth,” Ulloa said.
Ulloa also said despite efforts of celebration and creating a positive image for lowriders, there is still hatred against the community.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to achieve 100% zero emission vehicles in California plagues these communities. The Latinx and Chicanx community face unprecedented discrimination across the nation, according to a study from Pew Research Center.
“There are still people that will look at me with disgust and disdain, you can see it on their face, ‘He ruined that car,’ ” Ulloa said.
Ricardo Corteza, a marketing director at Santa Clara University, wrote a children's book in hopes of preserving the history of lowriding and educating future generations.
Cortez said he was inspired to write “The ABC’s of Lowriding” because of his three-year-old daughter.
“I wanted to start reading her books about lowriding,” Cortez said. “And there was nothing on the market that existed for kids and so, as an artist, designer and a lowrider, I was like, ‘Okay, let me start thinking about this.’ ”
Cortez said he noticed the books he came across about lowriding only focused on the aesthetics of the cars themselves.
“It was nothing ever about the nuances of the culture, which I think are hugely missed and important to people that are within the culture,” Cortez said.
Jesus Covarrubias, a senior lecturer at SJSU of Chicano and Chicana Studies, said the Chicano/a community had an attitude of pride in being American, but also preserving Mexican cultural traditions.
“The more we understand that there's richness in the diversity that exists throughout our communities, the better off we’re all going to be,” Covarrubias said.
