The hood
The phrase “the hood” was created by a black Chicago gang in the 1960s to describe the neighborhoods they grew up in, and has since been used to describe anything of black authenticity. Because the term was racialized, it is often used to refer to impoverished black neighborhoods, more specifically public housing projects.
The word hood is also used as an adjective to describe people who appear to be “thugs.” This usage of the term is unrelated as it is a shortening of the term “hoodlum” and dates back to the 1880s.
There are specific circumstances in which the use of the term “the hood” is acceptable, but it is very dependent on several factors, specifically:
- Who says it
- How they say it
- The context in which they say it
- The intention
- What they are describing
Some people take pride in their background and upbringing and use the hood as a positive term. For some, the term is used to demonstrate their struggles, while also reinforcing how their background does not define their identity or success. An example of taking pride in the term can be seen in Jay-Z’s song “Empire State of Mind” when he says "Yeah I’m out that Brooklyn / now I’m down in TriBeCa / Right next to De Niro / But I’ll be hood forever." This usage is a way to acknowledge their upbringing and showing a feeling of belonging to a community.
Using the term the hood to describe just any neighborhood is an example of gentrification of a term that has a lot of history with the black community in the United States, so it is inappropriate and dismissive when used to describe any neighborhood, as it has implications of impoverished, traditionally black neighborhoods.
The phrase is also inappropriate if used to describe somebody else’s neighborhood as something inferior or substandard. Using it in this way not only is classist, but generalizes an entire community into the stereotypes that people have in their mind.
The difference between the expressions "The hood" and "Hood" is that the first is used to refer to a neighbourhood and the second to a person.
Recomendación
In general it is recommended to avoid this term if it does not apply to oneself as it is rooted in personal experience.
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