San Francisco Lowriders Cruise Mission Street as Culture Gains Wider Recognition

Hundreds of customized cars rolled low and slow down San Francisco's Mission Street on Saturday for the annual King of the Streets event, a celebration of lowriding held during National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Music played as the vehicles bounced, tilted and hopped along the route, drawing spectators and participants of all ages. The tradition, rooted in Mexican American and Chicano communities across the U.S. Southwest, has long been associated with California, which is widely credited as the birthplace of the modern lowrider movement. Texas and Arizona also have their own deep histories within the culture.

Roberto Hernandez, founder of the San Francisco Lowrider Council, described lowriding as an art form in which each vehicle becomes an art piece. Cars are fitted with lowered suspensions, elaborate paintwork, chrome, custom interiors and hydraulics that allow them to bounce and hop.

"We finally got our stamp of approval," Hernandez said, pointing to this year's rollout of U.S. Postal Service stamps featuring five classic lowriders. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also recently announced a specialized state lowrider license plate. "We have a lot to celebrate this year," Hernandez added.

For many involved, lowriding is also an expression of Mexican American identity, family and craftsmanship. Johnny Castro, who took part on Saturday, said the point is to be seen. "It's about driving low, being seen and going slow," he said, explaining that the pace allows people to appreciate the work put into the cars, which takes time and money. For Castro, the tradition has become a family affair. "Rolling with my wife and my kids. We all have our own little rides, and it's great," he said.

The path to broader acceptance has been long. Hernandez recalled a period when police issued citations, made arrests and shut down Mission Street, prompting him to sue the city and its police department over the right to cruise. The struggle was not confined to San Francisco: beginning in the 1980s, other California cities adopted anti-cruising rules, which critics argued disproportionately affected Latino communities and stigmatized a cultural tradition.

In 2023, Newsom signed legislation that removed California's restrictions on cruising and stripped local governments of the ability to ban the practice based on repeatedly driving through an area.