SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio’s lowrider community is speaking out after drivers along Southwest Military Drive caused safety concerns for nearby neighbors and business owners.
A group of lowriders and cruisers who gather weekly along Southwest Military Drive near PicaPica Plaza say they don’t want to be defined by reported disturbances in the area. Instead, they want the public to see the tradition and culture behind the cars.
“We put a lot of money into these cars, time, blood, sweat and tears. That’s what goes into this,” said Eric Santillan, owner of Clean and Sweet Automotive.
Generational tradition
Santillan is building on a tradition that began long before he ever got behind the wheel.
Every Sunday, he and a group of fellow lowriders meet at PicaPica Plaza, showing off custom-painted classic cars and cruising Southwest Military Drive. For Santillan, it’s personal.
“To me, I mean, I was born into the tradition, so my father always had lowriders growing up. I have lowriders,” Santillan said.
The bond between the cruisers goes beyond the cars themselves.
“All these guys that are here today, they’re like family. We all know each other,” Santillan said.
While Santillan grew up surrounded by car club culture, he says the appreciation sometimes gets lost in negative perceptions.
Safety concerns for community
Records show San Antonio police responded to calls of shots fired and traffic disturbances along Southwest Military Drive on Sunday nights. Santillan said the people he cruises with are too invested in their vehicles to put them or the community at risk.
“If you look at them, they’re all clean, (we) put a lot of money into them. So we’re not gonna be out there on Sundays messing them up, destroying our cars,” he said.
The group said they share a love of lowriders but don’t want to be confused with those behind the reported disturbances.
“We try to do something that’s positive, whether it’s community-based, charity events, anything that helps the community,” said Tyrone Tenney, a prospect with the group.
DJ Eddie Hernandez, known locally as DJ Eddie SA, says the lowrider scene is being unfairly painted with a broad brush.
“The South Side community is portraying the lowrider scene as bad people, but in all honesty, they’re not,” Hernandez said. “You have blue collar guys, like myself.”
He says the diversity within the community often surprises outsiders.
“There’s other guys too that have their own businesses as well. There are some that are bankers, there are some that are even lawyers,” Hernandez said. “You’d be amazed at the guys that you meet in this lowrider community.”
For Hernandez, one moment captures exactly what the lowrider tradition means to him.
“One thing that I did accomplish was my youngest daughter asking to take her for a cruise for her Sweet 16,” he said.
For these lowrider enthusiasts, that kind of moment is what the culture is all about. They say they want the next generation and the rest of the community to look past the chrome and see the culture underneath.
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