Voices

East Los Angeles Chicano/a English (ELACE) is characterized by unique linguistic features that differentiate it from other varieties of English spoken in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. This paper will explore some of the more salient features that lead to many assumptions about the speaker of the variety, some negative and others potentially positive. Additionally, it argues that ELACE is not simply a sociolect reserved for communities of low socioeconomic status, but rather, it is an ethnolect that serves to represent the rich culture of the diverse Latino/a groups represented in East Los Angeles.