Lowrider Day rolls back into San Jose

CHICANO CAR CULTURE

Event marks anniversary of City Council decision to repeal decades-old cruising ban

People look at cars on display at the fourth annual San Jose Lowrider Day along East Santa Clara Street in front of San José City Hall on Sunday. The gathering marked four years since the city repealed its laws against cruising. Photos by Nhat V. Meyer — staff photographer

Cruising has been part of Chicano culture since the 1940s and grew to be a symbol of Mexican American resistance against discrimination during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and ’70s.

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By Jane Tyska and Nhat V. Meyer

Staff writers

San Jose Lowrider Day returned downtown Sunday, marking the anniversary of the City Council’s decision to repeal a decades-old cruising ban.

The fourth annual celebration was hosted in front of City Hall by the offices of Councilmembers Anthony Tordillos and Peter Ortiz, as well as the United Lowrider Council of San Jose.

The event featured lowrider cars, live music, food, local vendors and community resources.

Cruising has been part of Chicano culture since the 1940s and grew to be a symbol of Mexican American resistance against discrimination during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and ’70s. But by the 1990s it had become associated with gang violence and illegal activity. Many cities across the U.S., including San Jose, created laws prohibiting cruising.

San Jose had a cruising ban for decades before the City Council repealed it in 2022.

The lowrider council has built relationships with city agencies, nonprofits, schools and other community organizations. The group also works with the San Jose Police Department to organize cruises and other events.