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Parents' Guide to

House of Ho

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Lavish living and hard work featured in family reality show.

TV Max Reality TV 2020
House of Ho Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

age 14+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 18+
age 10+

Embarrassment

This is an embarrassment to the Vietnamese community. The Ho family pretends to be affluent from Vietnam, but in reality everyone is living in poverty in the 70s and if you werent you were exploiting the poor. Sick family, start to finish. I can’t watch. Washington, especially, is a horrible role model - embarrassing. HBO is exploiting ethnic families for ratings - luckily, no one is watching,

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This voyeuristic series shows how a large and wealthy multigenerational American family balances the traditional cultural norms and expectations of their Vietnamese heritage while living large in Houston, Texas. The Hos enjoy luxury homes, private jet flights, and expensive cars, but also remind viewers that their lives center around hard work, supporting each other, and continuing the family legacy. Judy, Lesley and Samantha also point out the challenges that female members of the Ho family face, thanks to Binh and Hue's traditional, and (according to Western standards) patriarchal, ways of thinking.

The overall series offers lots of typical reality fare, but much of it is contextualized within this "East versus West" narrative. Those familiar with Vietnamese (and certain other) Asian cultures may not be surprised by some of what is presented here. However, those who aren't might cringe at more than a few of the family members' antics on camera, including those of eldest son Washington, who is open about his sense of entitlement and the role this has played in his marriage. Nonetheless, House of Ho never ceases to use itself as an example of how the American Dream is possible if you're willing to work hard for it.

TV Details

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