Washington Ho and his family are the first Vietnamese Americans to have a reality show on HBO Max. Their show “House of Ho,” which already has two seasons under its belt, shows the ups and downs of their daily lives in Houston. Below, Ho describes his childhood in Houston and deep love for his family.
Q: What are your favorite memories growing up in Houston?
“I grew up in a neighborhood [in] the northwest area of Houston. Very humble beginnings. Some of my favorite memories were just being able to get off the bus, ride bikes, go visit my friends, go to the park. I’ve always been a people person. At the park, we would play kickball, football, and we would play against other neighborhoods. Those were the best times of my life.”
Q: How would you describe your relationship with your family?
“I’m very close to my parents. I still drive them around, take them to lunch, take them to dinners. They help take care of our kids. My sister and I have a different type of relationship. We’re best friends, but we don’t talk all the time. If I need something to get done, that’s who I’m going to call. My younger brother, we’re best friends too. We’re opposite. Sometimes we can’t stand each other, but we’ll always be there for each other.”
Q: What was it like for TV cameras to film your family for a reality TV show?
“Don’t do a reality show unless you’re ready to really open up and be vulnerable and share your truth. Owning your truth without cameras is a lot easier than trying to embrace your truth in front of the world. For me, it was one of the biggest goals I had in my life to do some type of production in Hollywood. Fortunately, I have a great family that was crazy enough to agree to do it with me or else there really wouldn’t be a story. Family is everything to me. Family is everything in my culture. What I learned about myself was difficult, but being in front of the camera, you just don’t really have a choice but to be authentic.”
