#LowRiders #SanFrancisco #USPS

"On Saturday morning, lowrider cars in a spectrum of colors cruised into the parking lot of the USPS processing center in Hunters Point, their glistening chrome finish and intricate airbrushings drawing attention from attendees.

This was no ordinary lowrider show, however. The gathering marked the United States Postal Service’s unveiling of a new set of five lowrider stamps. Organized in part by the San Francisco Lowrider Council, the event honored the history of lowriding and the recognition, at the federal level, of a culture long stereotyped and stigmatized.

'It represents showing us respect,' council founder Roberto Hernández told KQED. 'It’s atoning for what’s been done to us, it’s recognizing that this is an art form, and it’s part of the Chicano Latino culture.'

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While Saturday’s event celebrated a tradition of customized automobiles, Hernández says that recognition represents something larger than cars. Especially now, when immigration policies and ICE continue to target Mexican and Chicano communities.

'The federal government is at war with our people, criminalizing our people, deporting our people, illegally detaining people,' Hernández said, adding that it’s important for his community to keep mobilizing and organizing."

https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987600/lowrider-stamp-new-unveiling-cars-san-francisco