A movement of cultural expression with origins in Mexican American and Chicano communities, lowriding is a way for a person to show their pride, family, and culture.

Lowriding is the customization of a vehicle from the tires to the sound system with vivid designs and colors. Unlike hot rods or muscle cars, which have been modified to have big tires and go fast, in the lowrider community, with little resources, they modified the cars to go “low and slow.”

For Luis Martinez, competing in lowriding bike and car competitions is about more than glory and bragging rights. His participation in lowrider clubs in the Chicago area has been like one big family and a source of mutual support.

“It just starts with the metal,” said Martinez, who got his introduction to lowrider culture when his mother took him to a flea market. He had his first bike when he was 12.

“To me, it’s about expressing my art and what I can do with my own hands,” Martinez told The Associated Press as he polished at his home in Mishawaka, Indiana.

Lauren Pacheco, the co-founder and co-curator of the Slow and Low Chicago Low Rider Festival, described lowriding as a global multibillion-dollar phenomenon of self-expression and innovation.

“The lowriding movement is really a cultural expression,” Pacheco said. “It’s a marvel of mechanical innovation. It is the beautiful artistry in the creative practice of muralism, storytelling, and upholstery.”

It’s a legacy that Sonia Gomez wants for her 8-year-old son, Daniel Marquez. His late father, Alberto Marquez, had been a member of the Chicago area lowrider club. Too young to drive the car left to him by his father, Daniel has a lowriding bike that is more of a memorial to his dad.

The family will do an ofrenda, a display often associated with Mexican Dia de los Muertos celebrations, when local lowriding festivals are held. As part of the ofrenda, Daniel will take an image he has with his father on a lowriding bike and place it next to his actual bike, which he named “Wishing on a Star.”

This article was provided by The Associated Press.