Women lowriders are a key part of the culture, as shown at CSUN’s art exhibit

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In January of 2024 a new law in California ended the anti-cruising bans in the state, bans that were created in the 1980s in response to lowriders largely from Latino and Black communities. As the years went by, it became clear that California’s laws were suppressing a thriving culture.

In the fall of 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 436, which ended lowrider bans and anti-cruising laws statewide.

Through March 13, California State University Northridge is showing an art exhibit at the university’s art galleries titled Bajitas y Suavecitas, which means “short and soft” in English and that focuses on women leaders in lowrider culture.

People look at art during the opening of the “Bajitas y Suavecitas,” art exhibit about women leaders in lowrider culture at California State University Northridge in Northridge on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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CSUN is also known for its lowrider car exhibits held outdoors. The first was in 2023, drawing crowds to see more than 30 lowrider cars. Called “Low and Slow @CSUN,” the show celebrated a facet of Chicano culture that has thrived for decades. In 2024, CSUN co-curated a lowrider exhibit called “Best in Low.”