San Diego Mesa College is currently fundraising for this year’s annual Raza Graduation, with their latest event being a classic car show. With the help of Mesa facilities staff members, Ruben and Eddie, Mesa College teamed up with San Diego’s “Oldies” car club to hold a classic car show on campus.
On Oct. 5, dozens of pristine and pampered classic vehicles flooded Mesa College parking lots, many of them featuring a rich dose of Latinx inspired culture in their designs. Cars have bred a culture of gearheads that stands on its own, and as a result, other existing cultures have adopted their own distinct car cultures, creating subcultures.
Among these subcultures are lowriders. Lowriders are a class of highly modified cars, with suspension designed to raise and lower to extreme degrees. Several different subcultures were represented during the car show, but lowriders were by far the most ubiquitous. Each and every car was a masterpiece. Members of the Oldies car club in San Diego pride themselves on the meticulous care they put into their vehicles. From bumpers to bonnet, each and every vehicle was completely pristine. Some cars featured faithful 1960s and 1970s old-school styling, while others decided to opt for a more “custom” look.
Custom cars adorned with murals and bespoke paint jobs were the highlight of the show. Lowrider culture is meant to be a departure from vehicular norms. Rather than sporting a typical subtle silver paint job, lowriders will typically wear deep shades of crimson, blue, green, and purple. Modern cars typically offer plastic or aluminium trim pieces; meanwhile, lowriders are often brimming with polished chrome and steel. Gearheads, like those belonging to the oldies car club, use their passion to build something beautiful that everyone can enjoy. Rather than sending rusted junkers the scrap yard, these 1960s icons have been given a new life.
Raza Grad is a completely free graduation ceremony designed for Latinx students and their families. In order to keep this ceremony completely free, Mesa College recently started fundraising leading up to the event in the spring. This will be Mesa College’s third annual Raza Grad celebration, with this being the first year to include preceding fundraisers. Raza Grad will feature a presentation in both English and Spanish, in addition to other cultural activities. There will also be 10 different potential speaking opportunities for students. All students are invited to attend, regardless of ethnicity.
