Chicano Lowriding

Chicanos live by many proverbs, passed on from generation to generation, percepts that create the bar for Chicanos. Many Chicano families take a part in an activity that is much more than a hobby, it is a lifestyle that promotes unity, it is lowriding. The members of the lowriding community live bajito y suavecito with a goal to give an art show on wheels. Lowriding is an old-time technique of lowering and streamlining older cars and more recently modernizing them by adding hydraulics. Although lowriders were very common in Southern California, it was not until the late 60s when most white riders turned away and the term lowriders was more closely associated with Chicanos.
Much of the Chicano art we have seen in class illustrates the hard work Chicanos are known for, striving to live a better life. The lowriding hobby emphasizes class. Owning and maintaining a lowrider demands a stable and responsible lifestyle, Chicanos that participate in this culture are living proof that Chicanos are hard workers that venture for pride. Cruising is all about showing off the hard work put into making the car shine, many car members design their cars accordingly to their life and beliefs. Eduardo Lopez, a member of Our
My project is an art piece about Chicano art, it puts the spotlight on lowriders and how the cars themselves are Chicano art. Lowriders are an expression of Chicano art because they illustrate many Chicano themes such as hard work and family. One big influence is my father, I remember driving around the city and him pointing out every lowrider he saw, telling me the model and how “nice” the paint job was. Another inspiration is LA itself, although lowridings’ prime time is over, the lifestyle is still prevalent in clubs all around the country, especially Los Angeles, even if my father was not into lowriders, you would have to blind to not see them all around the