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| Angelika/Mike Schilli |
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Michael One of the most exciting details of our nearly 30-year residence in the city of San Francisco is still the fact that I only have to walk or bike half a mile down the hill from our neighborhood, Noe Valley, and I find myself in the "Mission" district, or in other words, the chaos of Mexico City.
In 1997, when we moved here, it wasn't entirely safe, because there were occasional shootings between rival gangs. However, that didn't stop me back then from exploring the neighborhood with a friend even after nightfall, although with my knees shaking.
Nowadays, there is no longer any danger, but the foreignness remains: the bustling commotion, the chatter in Spanish everywhere, the somewhat casual attitude towards law and order. People might sell stolen goods on the sidewalk or grill sausages without a permit from the city; things aren't as strict down there.
Latin American residents of the Mission neighborhood also maintain their own traditions, such as the holiday on May 5th (Cinco de Mayo) or the "Carnival" (not unlike the German Fasching), but also in September, the parade of the so-called "Low Riders," souped-up, often lowered vintage cars that can sometimes jump at the push of a button thanks to adventurous hydraulic constructions.
The models of classic American brands, lovingly maintained by enthusiasts over 50 and cherished in car clubs, can be admired by the audience at the roadside during the so-called "Low Rider Parade" when their owners, with pride-swollen chests, slowly drive down "Mission Street."
The participants view their souped-up cars as works of art in the venerable Latino tradition. Many years ago, the city of San Francisco even temporarily banned the so-called "cruising" on Mission Street, but in protest, car enthusiasts formed the "San Francisco Lowrider Council" in 1981 to legalize and promote the showcasing of these artworks. And in 2024, our Governor Gavin Newsom even signed a decree stating that the state of California officially recognizes cruising by stating it should never be banned again.
A German TÜV car inspection employee would naturally have a fit of hyperventilation at such modified vehicles, but Californians are entirely unfamiliar with the concept of such regular safety checks; only emissions are regularly checked here, and classic cars are even exempt from these. I attended the event as a roving photojournalist for this issue, and it went off peacefully, just like in previous years. It was even https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2qavq3mjbo. Unbelievable, times live in!
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