On Saturday, March 22, community members and car enthusiasts will gather for the second-ever Unity Cruise to the Capitol event. Hundreds of lowrider cars will make their way from Encanto Park to the state Capitol for a celebration of lowrider culture and the legacies of two Chicano community pillars.
State Rep. Cesar Aguilar (D-Phoenix) is hosting the event alongside local car clubs. He said that this year, they’ll also ride to honor the late Congressman Raul Grijalva, a fellow Democrat, and civil rights attorney Phil Austin.
“We really want to make sure that we honor the people before us, that allowed us to be able to get to this point,” said Aguilar. “Both of them in their roles in government and as activists and civil rights attorneys, they've done so much for us. And it's just awesome to see the next generation, like Lorena Austin, who will be with us at the cruise, be able to honor these individuals.”
Aguilar described both men as influential figures who paved much of the way for Latinos to carve out their place in Arizona.
“It just really embraces who they are,” Aguilar said. “And I like to tell people, lowriding is American culture. You know, it started in America after these World War II veterans came back.”
With its long history and knack for uniting people across political boundaries, Aguilar said it’s the perfect way to gather and honor the recently lost community leaders. And he looks forward to seeing the annual event continue to grow.
