Professor Guy Lord
English 121
1 May 2017
Lowriding
Hispanics who own a lowrider have always been frowned upon within the United States. Lowriders have been around since the 1920’s and still live strong today. Lowriding is a lifestyle that privileged Hispanics are able to be apart of. It is a way for Hispanics to express their culture through vehicles with custom paint jobs, lowered suspension, hydraulics, murals, and rims (lowriders). Lowriders have been around since the 1920’s, but did not include hydraulics or custom rims until the 1950’s. There is a large population of Hispanic gang members within the United States, but Lowriders are not affiliated with gangs and should not be seen as gang members for living their lowrider …show more content…
Some think that the lowriding communities are engaged in illegal activities to afford their lifestyle. Hispanics that become apart of the lowriding lifestyle dedicate their extra time and any extra money they have to build their cars. The lowriders they build are a piece of art and are not built over night. Some lowriders take five or more years to build, depending on how much money one wants to spend and the amount of detail they want the vehicle to have. Some people spend their life savings on their vehicle and some incur great debt required to build their piece of art. Depending on the year of vehicle, a completed lowrider can range from $40,000-$400,000. As editor of Lowrider Maragzine Joe Rey says in, What it takes to build a Lowrider. “The character of a true Lowrider is determined and defined by the sacrifices one makes while trying to build these rolling canvases of art, or, in many cases, their own lifelong dream-come-true on four wheels. Trials, tribulations, and unbelievable stories are all par for the course when it comes to completing a car; all in the hope that it will look like a respectable reflection of us while it’s out there on the streets. The wallet has nothing to do with it! Money can’t define the value of appreciation you have for the car you own. Blood, sweat, beers, and being irresponsible …show more content…
"Viejitos Members Know Santa Rolls in a Lowrider." San Jose Mercury News (CA), 25 Nov. 2006. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.aclin.org:2048/login?auth=cca&url=http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.aclin.org:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=url,ip,uid&db=nfh&AN=2W62W61350569764&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Ray, Joe. "What It Takes To Build A Lowrider - Custom Show Cars - Lowrider Magazine." Lowrider. N.p., 01 Feb. 2010. Web. 29 Apr. 2017.