USPS honors lowrider culture with new stamp collection

What they're saying: USPS' stamp program honors "things that represent the best of our nation," USPS spokesperson Albert Ruiz tells Axios.

• "And our new Lowriders stamps continue that proud tradition of celebration and inclusion," he says.

What they did: Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the Lowriders Forever stamps using photographs by Beto Mendoza and Philip Gordon.

Between the lines: Lowrider culture started in Los Angeles in the 1940s and is now embedded in generations of Latinos across the U.S. It's a bouncy, glittering expression of craftsmanship, resistance, tradition and community.

• "I'm really proud that we're finally getting our flowers, because everybody looked at us like gang bangers and drug dealers," Mendoza, a California-based photographer, tells Axios. "We're family men, it's generational, it's a family thing — that's one thing people don't understand … we look out for each other."

Zoom in: The cars featured are:

• A 1958 Chevrolet Impala, "Eight Figures"
• A 1964 Chevrolet Impala, "The Golden Rose"
• A 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, "Pocket Change"
• A Chevrolet Fleetline, "Let the Good Times Roll/Soy Como Soy"
• A 1963 Chevrolet Impala, "El Rey"

What's next: The 15-forever stamp sheet is available for preorder for $11.70. The collection launches Friday in San Diego, with availability nationwide.