This social role, Legaspi believes, may prove critical to the future of the malls in America as well.

FORBES: It's A Mall World After All

Latino shopping center developer Jose Legaspi traces much of the entrepreneurial success in these areas to this rise in population.

FORBES: The Best Cities For Minority Entrepreneurs

Mexico-born developer Jose de Jesus Legaspi suggests that Mexicans come to malls because they find them more appealing than the somewhat grimy, and sometimes crime-ridden, traditional downtowns.

FORBES: It's A Mall World After All

And Mr Legaspi points out that another change is quietly afoot.

ECONOMIST: Segregation and shopping

This is true not just of well-heeled Asians or Middle Easterners but also of Hispanics, who generally have lower incomes, notes Segal's partner, Latino retail specialist Jose de Jesus Legaspi.

FORBES: Magazine Article

In addition, even if they have lost their jobs, particularly in construction, Legaspi adds, they tend to pick up other employment, even at lower wages, often in the underground economy.

FORBES: Magazine Article

For example, the recession has barely taken hold at La Gran Plaza, the recently opened 1.1-million-square-foot retail center in Fort Worth, Texas, where Legaspi serves as part owner and operating partner.

FORBES: Magazine Article

"We are doing so well that we are expanding the mercado, " Legaspi says, referring to the thriving centers dominated by very small businesses run from attached stalls that are a popular feature of many Latino-themed centers.

FORBES: Magazine Article