Classic lowrider cars from the Imperials Car Club in East Los Angeles make their way down Trousdale Parkway as part of the closing celebration of Latinx/e Heritage Month. (USC Photo/Gus Ruelas)
Low and steady wins the race at USC’s Latinx/e Heritage Month closing event
More than 800 people in Founders Park enjoy food, music and dance, and learn about lowrider culture.
USC’s University Park Campus buzzed with surprise at the unexpected sight of five brightly painted lowrider cars with bouncy hydraulics cruising low and very slow up Trousdale Parkway toward Founders Park on Tuesday afternoon.
The painstakingly restored classic cars — the centerpiece of USC’s Latinx/e Heritage Month closing event — entered the park to the sounds of funk band War’s 1975 hit “Low Rider” about an hour before the official start of the annual Latinx Noche de Cultura. Presented by USC Student Life and the USC Latine Student Assembly, the event was an opportunity to highlight the intersection of art, history and identity within the Latinx/e traditions.
“The lowrider cars definitely caught my eye because they are just so beautiful,” sophomore Samantha Garibaldi of the USC Marshall School of Business said after the event was underway. “I love admiring them and the culture as well. Growing up in Inglewood, I would see them around. It’s something that sort of brings joy into your life when you see them.”
Most of the cars were provided by members of the Los Angeles-area car club Imperials. They included a 1952 Chevrolet pickup truck named “La Nena,” a 1964 Buick Riviera with an eye-catching paint job, a French vanilla-colored 1982 Lincoln Continental Mark VI, a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air painted in the colors of Twilight Turquoise and India Ivory, and a 1956 Bel Air convertible named “Smoking 56.”
The celebration featured Mexican food, dance performances by Grupo Folklorico de USC and music from Mariachi Los Troyanos de USC. It drew more than 800 students, faculty and staff members and included remarks by USC President Carol Folt.
“How many of you had a chance to go see the classic custom lowriders up close?” an enthusiastic Folt asked the crowd. “What incredible, iconic cars they are, and it’s been so great to have them here right in the middle of our campus.”
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Folt got her own close-up look at the cars during the event alongside lowrider expert and enthusiast John Ulloa, dean of language arts and social science at West Valley College in Saratoga, Calif. Ulloa stood near the vehicles and conducted a micro-academic chat about lowrider history. He said the culture lends itself well to the theme of the month’s events at USC: “Agents of Change — Shaping the Future Together.”
“When I think about change agents, lowriding is front and center of that,” said Ulloa, a member of Low Creations Car Club. “This is the first time that lowriders have been on campus at USC, particularly in this capacity. We’re not only witnessing the historic significance of Los Angeles lowriding, we’re also making history by having these cars present. These are not just cars — these are artistic statements.”
Ulloa described the lowrider car owners in attendance and in general as “the stewards of the culture, the keepers of the flame” and their cars as “rolling works of pride on wheels.”
“What sets them apart is not only their high standards for cars, but also their high level of community engagement and giving back to the community,” Ulloa said. “I thank them for everything that they’ve done for us on the streets and in our communities.”
Ulloa said he was happy to be able to appear at the event to share what he knows about lowrider culture because he believes it has been unfairly depicted as filled with criminals and gang members in Hollywood films and television shows.
“You’re talking about a hardworking, blue-collar community of engaged folks who are interested in the camaraderie of the culture and family,” he said. “It’s a culture of ingenuity, of making beauty out of scrap. It takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears — and time — to get [a car] to be a rolling treasure chest of goodness.”
Retired U.S. Marine Lisandro Plancarte captured a lot of attention with his 1964 Buick Riviera and its bold paint job, with its intricate lace designs and metal flake finishes. The car’s transformation took him more than two years and was completed last May. He is a member of a smaller car club known as Iconics based in the South Bay.
“It’s just an honor to be here,” Plancarte said as he watched the crowd appreciating his car. “I’m not a ‘Don’t touch my car!’ kind of guy. People appreciate the work, and it’s a good feeling every time you drive. You get a thumbs-up and people waving, taking pictures and videos.”
The event was emceed by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences senior Paula Acedo, who works as a culture ambassador at La CASA and was happy to step up and have a role in the celebration.
“Bringing the lowriders onto campus really exposes the younger generations to something that we kind of lost,” Acedo said during a break from being on stage. “I’m really happy the heads of the planning committee were able to present something that is very important to highlight, especially during this month.”
