The term "lowriders" refers to automobiles that have been lowered to within a few inches of the road in the expressive style of la onda bajita, "the low wave," or "the low trend." It also refers to the people who craft them and to those who own, drive or ride in them. On both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border and throughout the greater Southwest, lowriders and their elaborately crafted carritos, carruchas, or ranjlas—other names for their vehicles—contribute their particular style to the rich discourse of regional MexicanAmerican identities.