A few nights ago I was speaking with a friend and they casually used the word “hobo” in reference to our homeless people. My initial reaction was to be offended because that always seems to be the best way to justify self-righteousness. How dare this uninformed homelessphobe ( I am officially coining this word) spout his hate-fueled speech in my presence! As he continued talking my internal dialogue kicked in and I began to ask myself if ‘hobo’ was even a derogatory term after all. What did it truly mean? My friend’s words faded into the background and my thoughts shifted as this new quest skipped to the front of my mind. I had to unearth the genesis of this ambiguous term so I could know if my rage was warranted or if I was overreacting. Especially since I never overreact.
The most credible sources show the term Hobo cropping up with semi-regularity around the early 1890s. It was thought to have been a conglomeration of the words, “Ho, Beau!” which was a common greeting or reference in rail yards around America at this time. This makes sense and actually is much less offensive than I wanted it to be. I was ready to start a campaign of political correctness or protest against the Man or maybe just Occupy something. But, ehh… This definition certainly takes the sinister equation out of the element.
I discovered there was a clear distinction between hobos and tramps, which were considered lazy and had more of a deviant reputation. Hobos were renowned for their dependable work ethic and dedication to finishing a job before hopping on the train and moving to the next locale because jobs were scarce. Please don’t think I am trying to paint a revisionist history for railroad transients. Were all hobos kindly hearted men who wanted nothing but an honest day’s work? I doubt it. Any time a generalization is made there are variables that need to be considered. My point, though, is that the origin of the word was decent and had a solid connotation that denoted hard work and resilience.
My friend was not being so kind in his characterization. The whole ordeal made me consider how we refer to others is often based on a preconception that is (usually) wrong. I’m not going to get on a soapbox and start sermonizing, but if our base perceptions about a person or group are wrong, then how can we truly understand their perspective or situation? Take some time over the Memorial Day weekend to reassess your own beliefs and perhaps you’ll be pleasantly surprised that you have misjudged certain people.
Of course, revelation is the easy part.
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