Associated Students of Riverside City College celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Latinx lowrider car show

Three out of the fourteen invitees rolled up to Miné Okubo Avenue and Terracina Drive to show off their prized possessions at Riverside City College. A 1965 Chevrolet Bel Air Wagon, 1964 Chevrolet Malibu Wagon and a 1954 General Motors Company Hydra-matic Pickup Truck.

These old school rides came onto campus despite the heavy rain from the night before. They came because they were told the show would go on rain or shine.

 The show was the Associated Students of Riverside City College’s sixth annual Latinx Lowrider Car Show to highlight Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 18 on RCC’s campus. 

Dr. Megan Bottoms, faculty coordinator for ASRCC, organized the Latinx lowrider show to showcase an authentic side of chicano culture. As well as getting RCC students directly involved with Hispanic Heritage Month.

“As a coordinator the goal is that our students see their culture on display during their heritage months in its most authentic version,” Bottoms said.

These shiny vintage restored cars parked on RCC’s blocked roads, while posters that told lowrider history were displayed alongside them. Popular 70’s oldies music played in the background with Mexican street dogs being served to show more of the culture of the lowrider community. 

The first hot ride lined up was a 1965 Chevrolet Bel Air Wagon owned by an RCC alumni, Mary Valencia. Valencia says she has come to the last four car shows to show support to her alma mater and to give back to her local community through something she loves, her wagon.

“I do come every year, so I’m happy to represent Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Valencia. 

Her shiny blue ride’s paint job is from 1997 along with its upholstery. It has a 283 engine and the only thing she’s changed on her vehicle are the rims and tires. The original tires were 24’ in diameter but she switched them out to smaller ones 

The cherry on top of her wagon was adding shiny chrome rims to the tires to truly encompass the chicano lowrider aesthetic. 

Next car in line was Richard Rangel’s 1965 Chevrolet Malibu Wagon. His bright cherry red ride has been completely restored with a new engine, paint job and cosmetic additions, such as his chrome rims.

“I love all cars. Vets and Lamborghinis, but my favorite is the low rider,” Rangel said.

Rangel shared that he likes to call himself a car “enthusiast” and actually did some of the restoration on his wagon himself, such as the paint. Him and his family work on cars together and his Malibu is their hard work brought to life. 

Rangel was inspired to come out to the Latinx Car Show by Jorge Hernandez, judge of the superior court of Riverside county, who told him to come out to the Latinx Car Show a few years back to showcase chicano culture for Hispanic Heritage month.

But what brings Rangel to the car show every year though are the students.

“I like talking to the students, hearing what they’re studying and interested in and teaching them that they need to have discernment with their choices,” Rangel said. 

Last in the line was the 1954 GMC Hydramatic pickup truck owned by Pete Medina. He got his ride in 1987, where it was built in San Francisco. It has been redone three times since, but what makes his pick up so special is its hydromatic system. 

Despite being made in 1954 the Hydra-matic pickup was the first mass-produced fully automatic vehicle by GMC. 

Medina proudly shared how his pick up is mostly still all original, so opening up the hood of his car is sometimes a little difficult. 

Medina likes to keep his pick up as original as possible so some of the cosmetics on the car look a little different. The original GMC hydra-matic that he bought in 1987 has a silver bird on the hood, but the wings detached. 

Medina keeps the bird without its wings on his vehicle to keep it original. 

“We’re in love with it,” said Medina when sharing about his pick-up.

Medina also shares that what keeps him coming to the Latinx Carshow is to show up for the Raza here in Riverside County. 

“Maybe the rain kept some people back this year, but I got my email. Hopefully we’ll have more next year,” he said.

With more than 50% of RCC’s enrollment coming from Hispanics, it is important to highlight Hispanic Heritage month to show representation to its predominantly hispanic campus. 

“Seeing the lowrider car show makes me feel happy because it’s nice to see chicanoculture seen in a positive way rather than the image the media has of it especially for Hispanic Heritage Month,” shared Erica Fuentes, RCC student.