About Us

The Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation (the “Foundation” or the “THPF”) operates as a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated and committed to analyzing, exploring, and deconstructing the political, economic, social, demographic, and familial attitudes, behaviors, and perspectives of Texas Hispanics and to understanding existing and emerging social, political, and commercial trends within the Texas Hispanic community.

By utilizing survey research, existing and newly compiled data, analytics, diagnostic tools, and direct community interactions and interviews to fully understand the perspectives, foci, intentions, and concerns of Texas Hispanics, the Foundation seeks a better understanding of this vibrant, changing, and diverse population.

While the Foundation is keenly aware that no person of Hispanic heritage in Texas can be singularly categorized, it also understands that there are certain defining characteristics of this community that are unifying and identifiable and that can be studied, categorized, and catalogued.

By assembling well-respected researchers, public policy experts, former state officials, and other Texas Hispanic leaders, the THPF believes that it is possible to engage Texas Hispanics in a unique and insightful way that will illuminate and provide keen insights into this diverse community.

As well, by collaborating with Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy to provide data research and survey composition, execution and analysis, the THPF will co-brand its deliverables and data to reach a wider audience of readers and to obtain scholastic credibility within the research community.

The Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation seeks to dispel myths, challenge commonly held assumptions, reassess conventional wisdom, and revolutionize the essential, foundational understanding (or misunderstanding) of Texas Hispanics.

By re-evaluating our understanding of Texas Hispanics using data and analytics rather than the historically biased conventional wisdom or politically motivated outcomes, the Foundation seeks to bring a better, more reasoned and data-based view of Texas Hispanics.

Collaboration with Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy

The Board of Directors of the Foundation recognizes that the support, collaboration and assistance of a top-tier Texas university is critical to the success of the mission stated above. Therefore, it has been determined that Rice University and, specifically, the Baker Institute for Public Policy, will serve as the Foundation’s academic partner.

In June of 2019, the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation and Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy entered into a Memorandum of Understanding whereby it was agreed that the Baker Institute for Public Policy would provide research, analysis, data management and survey services to the Foundation. It was further agreed that Mark P. Jones, Ph.D., a Fellow at the Institute, would manage the project and become an essential member of the research team.

Rice University’s Baker Institute For Public Policy

Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy has established itself as one of the premier nonpartisan public policy think tanks in the country. The institute ranks 3rd among university-affiliated think tanks worldwide and 17th among U.S. think tanks, according to a 2018 study by the University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program. The survey ranked the Institute’s Center for Energy studies No. 1 among the world’s energy and resource policy think tanks.