(Dallas, Texas, January 11, 2021) – The Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation will launch a new podcast this month to share the voices of the state’s increasingly pivotal Hispanic population.

The “Our Story” podcast, hosted by THPF President Jason Villalba, will debut this week. Available on all major podcast platforms, “Our Story” will provide insight into a community of people who are literally and figuratively changing the complexion of the United States.

“Our mission is to explore the personal and intimate stories of Texas Latinos,” Villaba said. “There are so many misconceptions about Texas Hispanics and the conventional wisdom about who we are as a people is often not an accurate representation. Our Story allows our Featured Storytellers to tell their personal stories in their own voices.”

The first episode will feature Villalba’s conversation with the Hon. Poncho Nevarez, a former State Representative from the Eagle Pass region, one of the fastest-growing regions in Texas.

“From his early days on his family’s ranch, to raising a family, to becoming a lawyer and then ascending to the highest levels of Texas politics, Poncho’s story is filled with triumph and sometimes, devastating tribulation,” Villalba said. “In his own words, Poncho helps us to understand the biggest challenges of his life: substance abuse, stepping away from the Texas Legislature, and finding redemption and renewal in family and the future. In the end, Poncho’s story of resilience and victory in the face of tremendous adversity is a testimony to the spirit of all Texas Hispanics.”

Other guests in the first five episodes of “Our Story” will include: 

• Chuck Rocha, a Democratic strategist from Texas
• Naomi Villalba, Mexican immigrant, wife, and mother
• Hon. Miguel Solis, Dallas ISD Trustee
• Hon. Leticia Van de Putte, former Texas State Senator

The podcast is the latest platform from which THPF will shape the conversation about Hispanics in Texas. Last August, THPF was among the first organizations to project that President Donald Trump would perform better-than-expected among Hispanic voters in Texas, even as the presidential race became more competitive among all Texas voters than it has recently been.

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About the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation
The Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation operates as a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated and committed to analyzing and exploring the political, economic, social, demographic, and familial attitudes and behaviors of Texas Hispanics. In collaboration with Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, the Foundation conducts surveys, polls, research, data collection and analysis concerning the Hispanic population in Texas. You can find more information about the Foundation at www.TxHPF.org.