El Rito Media News Services

Andres Valdez’s love for lowriders is a lasting one.

It began when Valdez, an Española native, was a child, picking up trash at his aunt and uncle’s drive-in. With ample space to park, it became a popular spot for lowrider meetups.

“I would always see the lowriders gathering, and I always used to just admire them. … The more they were fixed up, the more they would catch my eye,” he recalled.

He started cruising in the 1990s as soon as he was old enough to drive, adorning his mini-truck with rims and rocker panels, a new sound system and woofers in the truck bed.

“I was always cruising; I loved it since I was about 17. … Decades later now, we’re still doing it,” Valdez said.

It’s a sentiment shared by many in Española, the self-proclaimed lowrider capital of the world. Lawmakers this legislative session may take a step toward putting the love of lowriders on display — and not just during weekend cruises.

‘No better place’ than Española

House Bill 239, sponsored by Rep. Susan Herrera, D-Embudo, with support from several other representatives from Northern New Mexico, would provide $100,000 during fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to study establishing a lowrider museum in Española.

“This is a topic that deserves its own museum,” said co-sponsor Rep. Joseph Sanchez, D-Alcalde. “I think it would attract people from all over the country, potentially all over the world.”

For a legislative session intent on tackling some of New Mexico’s biggest issues, HB 239 is a simple proposal. The one-page bill would task the state Department of Cultural Affairs, which already oversees state-sponsored museums and historic sites throughout the state, to work with the Higher Education Department to complete the feasibility study.

It would examine the specifics of the museum, including property options and governance possibilities, as well as solicit input from community members connected to the proposed museum, Department of Cultural Affairs Deputy Secretary Michelle Gallagher Roberts said in an interview.

“There’s no better place to have this museum, and it really embodies the amazing culture, language, history of Northern New Mexico,” Gallagher Roberts said.

The Higher Education Department also looks forward working on the study if HB 239 should pass, according to spokesperson Auriella Ortiz.

“Low-rider culture in New Mexico has grown to offer educational opportunities, a sense of community, and a place where New Mexicans can show off their knowledge of art, mechanics, and collaboration,” Ortiz wrote in an email.

HB 239 isn’t the only piece of lowrider-related legislation to hit the Roundhouse during the 60-day session. Sen. Leo Jaramillo, a native son of the Española Valley who now represents the area, has filed legislation to create a “lowrider capital of the world” specialty license plate. He is also one of the sponsors of a bill to declare the lowrider New Mexico’s official state vehicle. Neither measure has gotten a hearing yet.

The classic cars themselves made an appearance at the Roundhouse on Lowrider Day on Feb. 11 and are set to make a few more throughout the session.

Preserving tradition

If Rep. Andrea Romero had to choose, the Santa Fe Democrat’s “dream car” would be an electric lowrider.

“It’s so easy to love. It’s such an amazing pastime,” she said.

Romero signed on as a co-sponsor of HB 239 to establish a “starting point” for an Española lowrider museum.

“We’ve wanted this for such a long time, but now we have the real emphasis to actually get it done,” she said.

HB 239 is the first step in the right direction, said Joan and Arthur Medina, the heads of a legendary lowrider family from Chimayó.

“When they proposed it, oh my gosh, my heart just leaped for joy,” Joan Medina said.

The Medinas, whose commitment to lowrider culture, craft and community earned them a spot as one of the Santa Fe New Mexican’s 10 Who Made a Difference in 2022, display their private collection of lowriders and memorabilia in an at-home museum.

But a state-run museum is a good idea, Joan Medina said, because it’ll be neutral — not favoring any single car club.

“It’s open for everyone to have that chance to display, to show,” she said. “Because I’m an enthusiast, I can hardly wait to show what we’ve done as a family.”

The Medinas envision Española’s lowrider museum as a gathering place to teach lowrider traditions and techniques to the next generation. Nothing grabs a teenager’s attention like a lowrider — and Arthur Medina said that’s a way in.

“It’ll be a really, really nice thing to show what we build and what we do,” he said.

It’s not far from reality; some educational programs in Española already incorporate lowriders into their afternoon enrichment activities.

Joan Medina hopes her 5-year-old granddaughter — who is, of course, already learning the basics of pin-striping — will one day get to visit the museum and see her family’s history in its halls.

“She’ll get to see that, once upon a time, our grandparents were a part of getting this done for our generation so we can see how the culture was run and the old ways,” Joan Medina said. “And you know, maybe by her time, they’re going to have greater and grander ideas.”