What’s up?! I’m your history homie, Foo Howser™ — AKA Javier Servin — and I’m a dude who loves California history. I mean every aspect of it: its people, its places, its food, and everything in between. I wanted to share that passion with as many people as possible, and that’s why I started making videos about California history.
Why Foo Howser™?
One of my early videos was about why there are so many taquerias with the suffix “-berto’s” in California and the Southwest. That video went viral after being shared by rapper Lil Rob, and eventually landed on the Foos Gone Wild Instagram page. Somebody in the comments called me “Foo Howser” and I had to run with it. It just fit.
I grew up in the Southeast L.A. city of Huntington Park. My friends and I spoke a lot of Chicano slang; words like firme, chelas, vato, and foo were part of our everyday talk. Being called a foo was just another way of saying homie or friend. I’m proud of where I come from, and even though I’ve mastered code-switching at work, I still talk like that same kid from HP. I like to think I’m everybody’s homie, so feel free to call me Foo.
And the “Howser”? That’s a tribute to the GOAT — Huell Howser. I grew up watching his shows with my dad, and Huell sparked my love for California and my desire to explore all its corners. So: Foo + Howser = Foo Howser™.
I hope you’ll join me as we — because it’s going to be you and me — continue to explore the history that can be found in this great big backyard of ours we call California.