My Lowriding Revelation in a 54' Chevy
Story by Elizabeth Gonzalez // Art by Fernando Amaro Jr.

This whole piece might sound cheesy, but that's fine. I'm a 24 year old Chicana and although I have been cruising on the strip plenty of times before I had never been in a car I would actually call low and slow-- until the other weekend.

I mean, I'm not even a girl who likes cruising. When I did go I was usually the driver so that my friends could talk to those guys asking the same stupid question, “Where's the party at?”   They would scream it while trying not crash into the car next to them as they turned their neck so much they also turned the wheel. I got my first ticket cruising for not having my lights on because once again I was driving a friends car and didn't know it too well. I almost got another one speeding away from the divider and back on to the street. Cruising was just not an enjoyable way to pass my time.

Last weekend though I was going to a party and got picked up by a friend and her boyfriend. He has an old school car that he just fixed up so it runs, but still needs some work. We were following another classic car that I have seen many times cruising around the eastside. We decided to stop somewhere to eat and were driving down King Road and under the 280 when I felt my attitude changing. I felt different in that car as the wind blew through my long hair. My head had a different tilt, with my chin up and my maroon stained lips felt a little more appropriate. I noticed countless heads turn in admiration of the cars as we passed.

After we finished our tacos at a local taqueria we headed further down King Road and made the eventual left turn down Santa Clara. It wasn't even packed down the strip or prime cruising time,but there were some cars already out and plenty of club hoppers roaming the streets. We took another turn down Market Street and came back up First Street to end up back on Santa Clara.

Coming back towards King Road we made a pit stop honking the odd sounding horns announcing our arrival at the Santa Clara Street Wienerschnitzel. We drove in and parked to meet a few other folks who were already there with their cars, bikes, wives and kids. Folks greeted each other, shaking everyone's hand and admiring the rides.   They talked about the show earlier that day and the cars they saw before heading out almost as soon as they had come. It felt like the stop at the Wienershnitzel was obligatory, but the cordial thing to do.               

That night I felt different from any other ride I had ever taken in a car. Sitting in the backseat of that 54 Chevy I felt part of a long tradition of people who cruised the strip from way back in the day, just checking out the other cars and showing off the rides they worked so hard on. I was just lost in thought about how all these folks just get labeled as bangers for being in some kind of lowrider, when it's not even about a color, and the people are not even in gangs.

I felt like I got, even if only for a brief moment, what lowriding and cruising was all about.  

 Also Read:
Low and Slow vs. The Fast and Furious
San Jose Hosts a Grand Prix in Downtown, But for Whom?
Story by Troy Curtis // Art by Fernando Amaro Jr.