Co-occurrence of sociolinguistic variables and the construction of ethnic identities

This paper contributes to the debate over the nature of linguistic varieties by assessing the validity of two prominent models of ethnolinguistic variation against empirical data drawn from a community study of Polish New Yorkers. As a direct comparison of the models, I examine the co-occurrence of ethnolinguistic and regional variables of New York City English in the speech of two generations of Polish immigrants. The results suggest that Polish New Yorkers employ both ethnolinguistic and regional variables in their expression of ethnic identities. These findings challenge the predictions of the ethnolectal model, which would expect ethnic groups to engage in linguistic practices that maximize the group's distinctiveness, and align well with the predictions of the pool/repertoire approach, which affords speakers the flexibility to draw on a wider range of linguistic resources.