What are hos?

It was strange but endearing at the same time when I had to translate the now famous phrase that got Imus fired, to my parents. At first I had a good laugh and though of the Romanian translation of a ho, a word I never used especially around my folks. However, I had a hard time explaining the second reference of the phrase. It’s not like Romanian is that racially diverse. I tried my best to explain to both of them the meaning and origins behind the insensitive comment. I also realized in a way how disconnected at times my family is from understanding American slang. Growing up I always felt that I was an outcast when it came to American culture. Many things that were part of pop culture along with slang and curse words I was oblivious to. Not having any siblings to learn from or family members that were born and raised here kept me uninformed. As a kid I tried my hardest to pretend at times that I was American and that I did get all the references that were mentioned. But, internally I didn’t and was scared to ask for fear of being ridiculed by the other kids. Over time I came to realized that I’m proud of my unique upbringing and background. So what if I never saw any of the Star Wars movie series or knew all the words to Grease. At least I know where the Black Sea is located and what the E.U stands for. Regardless, there was a time in my life when a ho was just a gardening tool and nothing more.

(photo: An image I took while in Romania last summer)