In the late-1920s the first car clubs in Los Angeles were born. This tradition continues today in cities all over California and worldwide. Cruising has a rich and at times very violent history that many have forgotten. Cruising dates all the way back to the 20's and 30's when there was segregation through out the united states and young Latinos, African Americans, and other minorities used cruising and the car culture as a bold assertion of freedom, a protest against societal barriers and the Jim Crow system. It should come as no surprise to anyone that youth of East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights quickly became enthusiasts and were often at the forefront of this cruising culture with the rise of the Zoot suiters and Pachucos. Zoot Suiter's and young Latinos were vilified, violently persecuted and criminalized, by a public which felt these Latinos didn’t understand their place in society. In time the car culture of Mexican-Americans would begin to distinctly emerge with its own character and style. Ultimately manifesting into the modern day Lowrider.
Leave a comment