Voices

The importance of Spanish as a world language has increased steadily in the United States. Little recognition, however, has been given to the dialect that is spoken natively by individuals born in cities such as Los Angeles. Like African American Vernacular English, Los Angeles Spanish is a non-standard oral dialect that is used mainly in informal contexts and is not taught in schools. This paper suggests that a closer examination of the origins and functions of the Los Angeles Spanish dialect could help to illuminate the social and linguistic situation in the aforementioned city.