Austin, TX
‘An extension of who we are.’ Texas lowriders cruise with pride in family, Latino culture
Austin lowrider Steve Guzman bought his first rig, a candy-apple red Chevy pickup, when he was 22. He’d just come home from serving in Vietnam. Back then, Guzman said, Austin’s lowriders fought bitterly.
His friend, Manuel Medina, lived in Montopolis, across the river from Guzman’s East Austin neighborhood. Neither would drive across the bridge.
“We had different parts of town,” said Austin rider James Sanchez, and the attitude was, “Don’t come to my side.”
But as Guzman, Medina and Sanchez grew older, Austin’s lowriding scene began to change. The bridge’s boundary grew porous. Families married across the river. As pride in their cars had once kept the neighborhoods apart, the art of lowriding brought them together.
“Time has healed,” Guzman said.
The gray in his beard reflected colors from lowriders parked nearby. Today, Guzman, Medina and Sanchez are members of the old guard. Their pride lies as much in their cars as in the next generation of lowriders who, they hope, will inherit them.
Lowrider clubs proliferated in Texas in the 1960s
On a recent Sunday, lowriders from across Austin and throughout Texas cruised through the capital to celebrate the uniquely Latino tradition. Their rally point was a new exhibit at the Bullock Texas State History Museum.
More: Five reasons to visit the Bullock Museum’s lowriding ‘Carros y Cultura’ exhibit
The exhibit, called “Carros y Cultura,” celebrates Texas lowriders: the art, culture and people.
Lowriding’s origins lie in 1940s California, where the elaborately decorated cars arose as an expression of Latino pride. The culture came to Texas about 20 years later.
That’s when Austinites, like Steve Guzman’s grandfather, first started putting bags of cement in the trunks of their cars to get closer to the pavement.
Now, there are close to 100 lowrider clubs in Austin alone, Guzman estimated.
‘Never did we dream that we would be at the Bob Bullock museum’
About 70 riders from as many as 30 clubs came to show their cars on Sunday, cruising past the Bullock museum, around the Capitol, down South Congress Avenue and across the bridge. Then they posted at Fiesta Gardens’ Chicano Park, in Austin’s Holly neighborhood, to party.
Lowriders of every shape and size cruised the streets: some richly ornamented, some glowing. Others rolled down South Congress with one wheel cocked high in the air: a maneuver known as “three wheel motion.”
The celebration grew as a way to take “Carros y Cultura” back to the streets, said an adviser for the show, Monica Maldonado.
Maldonado is the founder of MAS Cultura, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Austin’s Latino community through art. Lowriding, she said, was one of her first inspirations.
“But never did we dream that we would be at the Bob Bullock museum,” she said just before the cruise. A bubble-gum pink lowrider slipped past. Maybe it was the bright sun, reflecting off its paint, but tears began to well in Maldonado’s eyes.
“I’m here. I’m an Austin native, and to see our culture celebrated and bringing everyone together — there’s really no words for it,” she said, blotting her eyes.
Portraits of families rendered in paint and chrome
Each lowrider tells a story with their car. Many are passed down through generations as family heirlooms: symbols of dedication and reminders of the beauty in perseverance.
“West Texas” Eddie Velarde, a member of the Majestix Car Club’s San Antonio chapter, has been restoring his 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme for 18 years.
When he bought the car, his daughter, Selena, was just 6 months old. This year, she graduated from high school. Velarde hopes she’ll inherit the lowrider when he dies, he said, as a memory of his hard work.
“I look at this car, and it’s a symbol of times when bills went unpaid, when money was short. Life was hard, but we made it.” Velarde said, running his hand over a portrait of his daughter painted on the Oldsmobile’s trunk.
Paintings of Velarde’s mother, father and wife adorn other panels. He’s dedicated the car to his family, he said: “It’s an extension of who we are.”
Like Velarde, longtime Austin rider Trampia Guzman grew up “in the life,” he said: “I was born to it.”
When Trampia Guzman’s father followed work to fields in the Northeast, he’d call home, asking his young son to rotate the tires on his car. Lowriding was a way of life for them.
‘This is an art, and it’s miraculous’
The art gave rise to other creations.
Trampia Guzman’s grandmother taught him to sew when he was 5. He started making zoot suits, a uniquely baggy and square cut style that began among Chicanos from El Paso in the ‘40s.
Now two of Trampia Guzman’s suits are on display in the Bullock museum’s lowrider exhibit. One of them, cut from shining gold cloth, he made as a memorial to his grandmother. The material came from a set of drapes that had hung in her home all of his life.
He admired the cloth as a boy, he said: His memory of his grandmother had always been sitting in a chair in front of the golden drapes. Now, he wears the suit each year on the anniversary of her death.
Stories of love and dedication spring from the lowriders.
Trampia Guzman’s wife bought him one to restore on their 20th wedding anniversary. He said he cried when he saw the car taken apart for painting; he was so overwhelmed. His friend, who goes simply by “Gizmo,” helped him paint the car.
“This is an art, and it’s miraculous,” Gizmo said, turning his head with a grin. “You see that red car over there?”
He pointed to a pearlescent cherry cruiser, sitting low to the ground.
“That one got struck by lightning. It almost burnt all the way down, but we saved it.”
Carros y Cultura
When: On display through Sept. 2
Where: The Bullock Texas State History Museum at 1800 Congress Ave.
Info: An exhibit showcasing Texas’ unique lowriding culture, featuring ornately decorated cars, motorcycles and artworks from the Latino community
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin’s multi-billion dollar light rail plan, Project Connect, is safe for now after two bills that targeted it failed to pass the Texas Legislature.
Senate Bill 2519, authored by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, passed the state Senate and House but failed to be voted on by the House before the deadline. Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway, authored House Bill 3879, which did not reach the House for a vote.
In November 2020, Austin voters approved Project Connect and a 21% property tax increase to help fund it, the Texas Tribune reports. The $7 billion plan is projected to expand the city’s public transportation system with an electric light rail and additions to CapMetro’s existing presence.
Project Connect has seen some changes since it was first announced, including reducing the 27 miles of light rail to less than 10 miles. The group managing the project’s development, Austin Transit Partnership, has also been met with a lawsuit from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over claims that tax money can’t be used to help fund the project.
Phase 1 of the light rail is currently underway as developers focus on planning, engineering and fulfilling funding requirements. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027.
Austin, TX
Texas football: New commit Yaheim Riley describes his play style, being an Austin recruit
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Longhorn football coach Steve Sarkisian puts a bow on spring football and looks to the fall on tis week’s On Second Thought podcast.
When he heads off to college in a year or so, Yaheim Riley won’t have to travel far.
That was one the reasons why Riley chose to commit to the Texas football team. A three-star safety from Austin’s Anderson High School, Riley announced earlier this month that he will join the Longhorns’ 2026 recruiting class.
Riley is currently one of eight members in UT’s 2026 class, which currently ranks 26th nationally.
While recently working at a football camp put on by local products Sedrick Alexander, Latreveon McCutchin and Micah Gifford, Riley talked with reporters about his decision to play at Texas. He was previously committed to Houston, and he reportedly had offers from schools like Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.
“There’s nothing wrong with just staying at the crib,” Riley said. “I just moved here, and this city’s good. I’ve been here for two, three years, and I just like the environment. Then I just like (UT assistant coach Duane) Akina, I like the coaching staff up there too.”
According to a Spectrum News report, Riley grew up in Florida and has thus adopted the “Miami” nickname since his move to Texas. After playing at LBJ the past two seasons, Riley will suit up at Anderson this fall.
LBJ assistant coach Roderick Green wrote on social media that “Texas is definitely getting a playmaker! He can cover like a corner and come downhill (with) bad intentions! One of the best open field tacklers in high school football!”
But how would the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Riley describe his game?
“(Texas is) getting a hard hitter, a hard worker,” Riley said. “I love to work. If I ain’t working, I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Yaheim Riley is a rare Austin ISD recruit for Texas
Even though the Austin school district and Texas share an area code, a recruiting pipeline between the two entities doesn’t exist. Over the past decade, Austin High quarterback Charles Wright (2021), wide receiver Cayleb Jones (2012) and offensive lineman Mark Buchanan (2008) and LBJ tight end D.J. Grant (2008) have been the only Austin ISD products signed out of high school by Texas.
But Texas is coming off a season in which Andrew Mukuba, an LBJ graduate who started his college career at Clemson, starred in the secondary and developed into a second-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles. Riley is hoping that he can also help change the narrative about the talent that exists in the city.
“Austin’s got a lot of slept-on talent,” Riley said. “I just say don’t sleep on the talent, there’s a lot of good people in Austin. I just will say just even though they might not look the part, just give them a chance. It’s a lot of good talent out here.”
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AUSTIN, Texas – Communities across Central Texas honored fallen service members at various Memorial Day events.
East Austin
What we know:
In East Austin, the Thankful Hubbard Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) and the Patrick Henry Chapter of Sons of the American Revolution (TXSAR) held their Memorial Day Service, which has been happening every year since 2007.
They honored those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, including two Revolutionary War soldiers buried at the Texas State Cemetery.
The two soldiers are Lt. Robert Rankin and Sgt. Stephen Williams. Williams also fought in the War of 1812 and the Texas War of Independence. His eulogy was given by a descendant of his.
Over the weekend, the groups placed 3,200 flags on all the gravesites.
What they’re saying:
“We want to have this available for the public to come out and memorialize those who have passed in battle,” Joseph Howell Burton, president of the Patrick Henry chapter of TXSAR said.
Pflugerville
What we know:
Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home and Cemetery in Pflugerville hosted its annual Memorial Day ceremony in the newly established Patriot Garden.
What they’re saying:
Veterans took time to connect and reflect.
“The Marine Corps really changed my life big time. It taught me how to survive, discipline, and how to be a father, a son, et cetera,” veteran Jim Newman said. “Memorial Day to us is just remembering veterans that have gone before us and that we survived in order to remember their names.”
Round Rock
What we know:
Round Rock also had a ceremony at Old Settlers Park.
“Memorial Day is not just another holiday. It is a commitment. It’s a commitment to remember, to reflect, and to ensure that the sacrifice of our fallen heroes and their families are never forgotten,” Major General Michael McCurry with Army Futures Command said. “These were not just soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen. They were sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. They were people with plans for the future with laughter and love to share, who instead gave everything for us.”
Memorial Day is also a time to honor Gold Star families.
“Your loss is immeasurable,” McCurry said.
The Source: Information in this report comes from reporting/interviews by FOX 7 Austin’s Angela Shen
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