The Arizona Republic Newspaper

September 20,2004

Low-Rider Symposium

Fetes Culture, History

by Ty Young

Society Car Club president Danny Ochoa of Phoenix gets a little choked up when he remembers his 1964 Chevy Impala, a high school graduation gift from his parents.

His first low-rider, it represented a chance to put his artistic and automotive skills to work. But it also marked an entry into a tradition that dates back into American culture.

On Saturday, he joined other Valley low-rider car club representatives, automotive artists and national experts to discuss the current and historical relevance of the $2 billion industry. With its recent rise in popularity in Europe and Japan, the stereotype that the sport and art of low-riding is localized squarely in the Southwestern Chicano culture has become inaccurate, Ochoa said.

"It doesn't matter what race a person is because people put their own culture into the art," said Ochoa, 37, the official head car show judge for Lowrider Magazine. "It's unique to see the different styles at each area we visit."

Before an audience of about 100 at the Mesa Southwest Museum, speakers discussed the issues facing low-riding and tried to dispel the notion that the sport is populated by gangsters and felons.

"We want to show people that we're not the people we've been stereotyped as," said Pearl Hernandez, 40, from Old School Car Club in Phoenix. "We're not the gang bangers and trouble makers."

Low-rider clubs and other classic car clubs have been stung by recent attempts to rid Phoenix streets of cruisers. Some lawmakers say cruisers block traffic and breed a dangerous, lawless element on the streets.

Low-rider owners are angered that they are grouped into this classification.

"There's always going to be outsiders that want to hang out because of the cars," said Cory Seiler, vice president of Old School Car Club. "But think about it. When you have a person that has put $20,000 into their car, they don't want any trouble near them."

Hernandez, the club's secretary, represents a dramatic shift in the low-riding culture still dominated by young men. The incorporation of women in the organizations has added a new voice to the community.

Society Car Club has donated more than $40,000 to the community since its inception in 1980. The club has paid for college scholarships and sponsored little-league teams.

"We are here for the families, here for the children and here for the community," Ochoa said.

Low-riding first became popular in the late 1930s, when Mexican-American soldiers returned to the United States. Most enthusiasts look for late 1950s and 1960s Chevrolet Impalas and other long, sleek models. After customizing the interior, sound systems and engines, the body and wheels provide a canvas for intricate and vibrant paintings and designs.

The symposium was a groundbreaking effort and one of the first in the history of the sport, said Lowrider Magazine publisher Rudy Rivas. He and editor Ralph Fuentes are two influential members of the industry and answered audience questions while exposing how far-reaching it has become.

Other panelists included famed Mesa automotive artist Efrain "Bugs" Gonzales and longtime Phoenix low-rider promoter Johnny Lozoya, who helped organize the first Superevents Phoenix Car Show in 1978.

Arizona State University doctoral candidate William Calvo added more historical facts. Calvo wrote his master's thesis at ASU on the low-riding community and how it has come to represent original American phenomena.

"Low-riding is as important to American history as jazz," he said. "Denying the identity of low-riding is denying the identity of the United States."