What Hobo Day Really Was

Quick! Can you imagine having absolutely nothing? Can you live without your precious iPhone and electronics? Your designer jeans and Starbucks coffee? Can you live without your prolonged hot showers, warm food, and parents income? Most of all could you even fathom the thought of sleeping on the street with nothing but the clothes on your back… in other words can you imagine being a so called “hobo”? Most likely not. Very few people actually take the time to even consider that possibility which was clearly proven after Pitman High school’s dress up day titled “Hobo Day.” Yes, you read that correctly…hobo day. What’s the problem? Some may ask while others gasp in disbelief. Well this article is intended more towards those who simply do not see the wrong in this dress up day.

“Hobo Day” was originally promoted by our ASB students as a school spirit day that encouraged students to dress as the 1930’s migrant workers known as “hobos”. Seems harmless right? Well if people actually took the time to do the research and elaborate a bit more you can see that the definition/term “hobo” is derived from the word “homeless.”

“A hobo is a migratory worker or homeless vagabond especially one who is impoverished.”

During the Great Depression “hobos” were people of poverty that had no other choice but to migrate in hopes of finding work. These people were described as “homeless” “penniless” and “poor.” A “homeless” individual is described as someone who is “without residence” “penniless” and “poor.” Both seeking a source of income. Now as you can see the term ”hobo” and “homeless” are the same by definition and in context. Hopefully without argument. Much more can be said to clarify this illusion of a “difference” between the two, but that is not the issue here. A bigger problem that needs to be examined is the fact that students were encouraged to depict homeless individuals. More surprisingly not a single word came from the school officials to correct this matter. It was ok for students to dress up as poverty stricken people, it was ok for students to hold up signs asking for money, it was completely ok for people to wear boxes, and to post pictures near trash cans with the caption #Hoboday. It was all okay because it showed school spirit right? A school that promotes the degrading of the homeless as school pride is what it appeared to be. No apologies and no clarifications.

One student, Adam Velasquez who was also a homecoming nominee saw the disgrace in the dress up day and refused to participate, giving up his homecoming nomination.

“Hobo day? I ain’t about to dress like that just for the fun of it. In my opinion it’s just disrespectful and just not right” -Velasquez (Twitter)

“I gave up my sash if that’s what it takes to be a nominee then I don’t want it…what people don’t seem to understand is that those kids get to go home and take off that costume while others can’t… I know what’s it’s like I have been there.” -Velasquez

Velasquez’s words and actions are something that people can learn from. He is one of the many students that saw the wrong in this years dress up day.

“If you participated in hobo day you probably lack the ability to empathize or feel any sort of shame to be honest. Most likely, there are people who attend Pitman that are actually homeless and to dress up as a “hobo” is not only a form of bullying, but it is exclusive and makes those who may be in that situation feel left out of the Pitman community which is supposedly something our administrators never want to happen, yet they let something like this go down” -Student

“People who say that “hobo” and being “homeless” are two separate things are idiotic and are only saying that to justify their wrong actions. The word hobo is a derogative term used for the homeless therefore in dressing up as a “hobo” you are also inherently dressing up as somebody who is homeless… even if “hobo” wasn’t the same as homeless that doesn’t suddenly allow you to dress up as an offensive caricature because you see them as less than you.” -Student

“I thought there was no real reason that it should have been a dress up day because it’s not something to joke about especially in a school where the majority of kids here have a bunch of money and don’t know the struggle of what some people have to face to get by.” -Student

“I can’t believe it. These kids that are so spoiled and fortunate enough to have things that others can only dream of dress up as someone who is homeless…I thought it was sad and insulting… We don’t have a dress up day called “spoiled rich kid day”…it was making fun of people and it wasn’t ok…it’s obviously not ok to make fun of someone’s race so why is it ok to make fun of someone’s life choices that they did not want to choose.” -Student

The fact that almost an entire school took part in this event is not only insensitive and low, but it is truly dehumanizing. Homelessness is not only a “social crisis” but it is a well known statistic here in the U.S. According to the National Alliance to end Homelessness research found that over 633,782 people were reported homeless in 2016. Again that is only the reported. 22.1% of that are children, 13% are veterans and 42.6% are disabled.

On a more immense scale millions are living out on the streets each year. This number continues to grows at an alarming rate as our economy struggles with poverty.

To have had a dress up day that satirizes the homeless is not just deplorable, but it is simply immoral. There is no school spirit or positive representation when it comes to dressing up as an individual that “can’t afford the basic provisions” to live.

“Hobo day” could have gone differently, it could have been a day to help educate students on the epidemic of homelessness or how to help those in need such as donating or even taking the time to recall the struggles of the 1930’s. There were many opportunities and ways in which the school could have corrected this so called “misunderstanding” but no action was taken. No one saw the need to justify their actions and reasoning.

Enough of the sugar coating. It was not a day of “empathy” or “support”, it was a shameful and wrongful act that will most likely be unaddressed and continue to be labeled as a “misunderstanding” because again it was school spirit…right?

“Proud of our student body and the empathy that they have displayed for those members of society less fortunate. Thank you ASB for your work!” – Pitman High School

http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/SOH2016

http://www.endhomelessness.org/pages/snapshot_of_homelessness

http://www.socialsolutions.com/blog/2016-homelessness-statistics/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo

http://wikidiff.com/hobo/homeless

http://frontsteps.org/u-s-homelessness-facts/