SAN FRANCISCO — This Sunday, the Carnaval Grand Parade returns to the streets of San Francisco’s Mission, including a procession of lowriders that is always a highlight.
40 years ago, Roberto Hernandez was engaged in what was considered at the time criminal activity: He was riding low and slow on the streets of San Francisco.
“I was arrested 113 times during that period,” Hernandez said.
The experience inspired him to form the Lowrider Council of San Francisco to fight police crackdowns on lowriders which he saw as being excessive and motivated by racial bias.
“Here in the Mission, we were not white; we were brown young men and women who were doing something that was not part of society,” Hernandez explained.
At least not yet.
The council collected evidence, hired lawyers and sued the city in federal court and won, which led to police reforms.
“I felt proud to be brown and cruising down the street in my lowrider from then until this day,” he said. “It’s just a great feeling.”
Today, lowriding lives on and four decades later has become accepted by the society that once rejected it.
“Lowriders are in music videos, movies, commercials. We’ve been invited be a part of the 50th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge,” he said. “We get invited to all these social gatherings that I would have never imagined being invited to.”
An exhibit at the Mission Cultural Center last year showcased the unique art and culture created by Latinos through the lowrider movement. It signifies to Hernandez that the battles were worth it.
“There is a level of appreciation, love and most importantly respect for the culture of Latinos and lowriding,” Hernandez said.
For more information on Carnaval San Francisco festivities, visit the official website.
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