Luis Melecio-Zambrano The Mercury News (TNS)

SAN JOSE, Calif. — For Angel Romero, every detail of her car is a reflection of her history. The shining purple paint job accents sleek gleaming chrome that flashes bright in the light of golden hour. Pinstripes adorn the hood and the roof of the car — which hovers mere inches from the road, floating on white-wall tires — and the trunk is emblazoned with a photorealistic portrait of her mother, the first lowrider Romero ever knew.

In the back window sits a metal engraving reading “Dueñas” in elegant script.

Six years ago, Romero founded a women’s lowrider club. Tired of hearing others say “that’s your boyfriend’s car” or “that’s your daddy’s car,” she named the club Dueñas – meaning “female owners” in Spanish.

“You can’t get any more straigh

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