Please help!!! High school help and mom help?

Question

To start off with how to I gett my mom to take me to South Africa!!! I was bornin Cape Town, South Africa and I lived there for six years before moving to Washington! She will not take me back!!! She's like "it's dangerous, remember!" when it's only really dangerous outside the city. Also how long should you live in the USA before getting rid of your accent, I love my South Africa accent, and sort of held on to it even though I've lived here for eight years, I really like it but everyone's like "you've lived here forever get rid of it" and a lot of people who didn't know me in elementary school don't believe me when I say I was born in South Africa. I'm starting high school, should I use my accent in high school or should I lost it? How do I get my mom to take me back to Cape Town?

Answer 1

get rid of it.

Answer 2

be yourself. if you naturally talk with your accent then talk with it. if you dont, lose it. your mom knows best, hate to tell you. wait until you are 18 then go. best of luck

Answer 3

I think that people from the USA and abroad have a hard time with accents. Don't worry: It's normal. My sister-in-law is from England and her entire family still has accents (even though she moved here when she was 8 and is now 36!). The reason why they still have them is because the whole family more or less lives in the same city. They watch British movies, and they go to England regularly. They celebrate their culture and each other. If your family still uses the accent and celebrates your culture, then I don't see why you have to "lose" it at all. The only problem I can see is if they have "lost" theirs and you continue with yours. What happens if you go back to Cape Town and the "locals" call you a tourist and make fun of your American accent? This happens quite a bit with people who move away and then go back. Even if you love the culture of your homeland, they might just see you as an American, which can be challenging.

Instead of making your mom take you back, it might be time to take a stand. You are in high school, so why not wait a few years and study? You could make a bargain with her now, such as: If I get a 3.5 or higher, you will take me back. Or, you can join Peace Corps. I have had many friends work all over Africa in the Peace Corps. You would be able to travel home, help out with some of the problems of the land, be able to reconnect with locals, and get paid money for school. They pay for you to go over and come back, so your mom really wouldn't be able to "stop" you from going. Instead, she would have to accept it as a career choice (just like going off to college). It is a two-year commitment, but if you make it a goal now, you might be able to work toward that goal. Good luck, and remember: Just because you love your homeland doesn't mean you can't help it or appreciate your culture. The accent may "tell" people where you're from, but your actions speak louder than words.