
In the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC, there’s a special mall called La Union. It’s full of Central American-owned businesses that cater to the area’s booming Latino population. People even come over from nearby states to get the products they want.
But merchants at La Union are worried that the mall’s days may be numbered. That’s because the DC Metro is adding a new route called the Purple Line, which will connect far-flung suburbs to downtown. Business owners at the mall are afraid of being pushed out if their rents continue to rise.
In this audio postcard, bakery owner Jorge Sactic—who is known as the “Mayor of the Mall”—gives us a tour of La Union.