The Rhetoric of Lowriding: A Misunderstood Cultural Movement in the Public Realm

In its simplest sense as known in the public realm, a lowrider is an old lowered car which might even bounce, and is driven by someone who has brown skin. I argue, however, that the lowrider is much more than that: it extends a car; it extends a person; it extends a crowd of vicious gang-banging hoodlum Mexicans. Lowriding is a cultural movement which undermines stereotypes, and is a very complex tradition of building community through various art forms and solidarity, historically amongst underprivileged individuals of Mexican descent. The culture begins with expression through one’s customized vehicle, although lowriding’s legacy has instilled its spirit into individuals who (no longer) own cars, and keep the lowrider culture alive through the forms to be discussed.