Riding Low and Slow: Empowering Communities by Building Collections

Estella Inda, '21 MLIS, remembers cruising East San José with her Uncle Rigo in his dark gray '66 Impala in the early '90s. Cruising around town was a cherished family activity where she would joke with her cousins, listen to oldies music, and revel in all the different colored pinstripe lowrider cars. However, as she grew older she was confused why lowriders were perceived so negatively.

In 2017, her confusion turned to frustration when a doctoral student visited the San José Public Library's (SJPL) California Room on the fifth floor of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in search of lowrider history. Inda, who was a SJPL library clerk at the time, was shocked to discover there were just a few resources available and of those, lowriders were villainized. But, it was her own culture and it was full of love, camaraderie and community. At that moment, she would dedicate herself to researching, connecting, and collecting stories about communities that have been historically overlooked, like the lowriders.

Fast forward to 2024, Inda, who is currently the research services and social science librarian at the SJSU King Library is opening her third exhibit titled "Forever Cruising: Cultura de Lowriders," which highlights the rich tapestry of art, self-expression and storytelling in celebration of the lowrider culture. In this Deep Dive in Five, learn about Inda's goals to educate, empower and celebrate one of San José's diverse communities that have long gone overlooked by the different information institutions.

What are lowriders? Tell us some historical highlights impactful in the South Bay.

Estella Inda (EI): Simply defined, a lowrider is a customized vehicle that has a modified suspension system to ride lower to the ground. But really lowriding has evolved into a multifaceted form of cultural expressive pieces of art.

Some historical highlights significant to the South Bay are that"Lowrider"magazine (originally "Low Rider") was originally published here in San José by three former San José State University students in 1977. Once Whittier Boulevard was closed in Los Angeles, San José's Story Road and King Road became the place to be and helped San José to be known as the lowriding cruising capital until a cruising ban was passed by the city. There is much of the lowrider community history that has not been fully documented, which has led to the missed opportunity for there to be a full understanding of the community and how impactful the community has been to Chicano history and culture.

Why do you think it's important to tell the lowrider story?

EI: I believe that it is important to tell the lowrider story because for so many years the lowriding community was viewed negatively, resulting in information institutions ignoring its historical significance and allowing a significant piece of Chicano cultural history to be lost. I also believe that it is important to break negative stigmas that have inaccurately followed the lowriding community for years by sharing and celebrating every part of the lowrider culture. The true lowrider story is more than just one story; there are many stories of camaraderie, activism, artisanship, innovation, and more all while riding low and slow.

What can we learn about the lowrider community that applies to other communities?

EI: What can be learned is that despite the false negative personas that are attributed to members of the lowrider community, it is possible to thrive by keeping true to who you are. Through perseverance to unapologetically be true to their culture, the lowrider community has continually grown through the generations, preserving the tradition for future generations. Most importantly, what can truly be learned about the lowrider community that applies to other communities is how coming together and using their collective voices to demand equality has helped them overcome great adversity.

What advice do you have for faculty members wanting to partner with communities to create cultural exhibits?

EI: My advice for other faculty wanting to work with a community for cultural exhibits, is to first do your research and find your focus. Second, be honest about what you are trying to do and why you believe having a cultural exhibition is important. There is no way that you are going to be able to capture everything through an exhibit and there is no way to make everyone happy, but as long as you are respectful and take the time to acknowledge the importance of the story that is being told through the exhibition, it will be impactful. It can also establish lasting community relationships that can be built on in the future.

What do you hope students learn and take away from exhibits like Forever Cruising?

EI: I hope that students learn about the many different pieces that make up the lowrider culture. I am hopeful that students experience a new kind of learning environment that allows them to visually experience the culture and gain an appreciation for the unique pieces of art that makes them want to learn more. Most importantly, I hope students learn about how important it is to gain an understanding about different cultural perspectives, and use their ability to raise questions about the stories they are being told that feed a particular stigma. This is especially relevant when narratives continuously are being controlled by book bans and other silencing actions.

Visit "Forever Cruising: Cultura de Lowriders" exhibitionfrom July 15 - September 15 in the Africana, Asian American, Chicano, and Native American Studies Center on the fifth floor of the King Library. A special reception will be held on August 3rd from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. that includes an artist meet-and-greet and lowrider cars on 4th Street. RSVPto join the celebration.

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