The launching of Lowrider season 2024
These are the Guide’s first two posts that document the imprint of Mexican Americans on the area auto industry and auto culture. Both appear courtesy of EL CENTRAL, Southwest Detroit’s Hispanic community newspaper.
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Santiago Esparza III’s Hank Aguirre’s Mexican Industries profile of Detroit Tiger baseball legend and pioneering minority automotive supplier; and
Andrea Meza’s "Blessing of The Lowriders" article that explains the origins of this neighborhood tradition and emphasizes that “those unfamiliar with lowrider culture might mistakenly believe that it's connected to gangs, but in fact, lowriders are about art, religion, and especially, familia.”
The Guide team anticipates adding reference articles that explore the turbulent era of the 1920-1930s when Mexicans first found employment in the Ford Rouge plant and area factories during the auto boom years, only to be forced back to Mexico during the Great Depression. In addition, the Guide anticipates being able to develop profiles of the Hispanic Manufacturing Center and the Ideal Group.
University faculty and students interested in the effort to research and select articles to add to this page can contact the Guide Team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Photo Credits: Luciana Vega, courtesy of EL CENTRAL Hispanic News
The Southwest Detroit Business Association supported the work associated with generating Santiago’s article.
