Usha Chilukuri Vance, entered the spotlight this week as the wife of JD Vance, former President Trump’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
Her rise comes at a time when, across the aisle, there’s another prominent figure of South Asian descent: Vice President Kamala Harris, the nation’s first woman and person of color in her role.
During its primaries, the Republican Party also saw increased South Asian representation with presidential candidates including Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley and Tulsi Gabbard.
Some Indian American political empowerment groups say they’re glad there’s more representation. Still, they don’t think Usha Vance’s rise to prominence will sway more liberal South Asian American voters. Others say what needs to be examined is how the GOP responds to hate speech made about her religious identity.
On Wednesday, Usha Vance introduced her husband, Ohio’s junior senator, at the Republican National Convention by talking about their relationship.
“I grew up in San Diego, in a middle-class community with two loving parents, both immigrants from India and a wonderful sister,” she said at the convention. “That JD and I could meet at all, let alone fall in love and marry is a testament to this great country.”
Chintan Patel, executive director of civic engagement group Indian American Impact, said seeing Usha Vance in a position where she could become the first South Asian second lady, helps people reimagine what is possible.
“It is quite an inspiration for our community in terms of the increase in representation within Indian, South Asian Americans,” Patel said.
Usha Vance, 38, was raised by a mother who was a biologist and provost at the University of California at San Diego, and a father who was an engineer, according to JD Vance’s campaign. She met her husband in law school at Yale University and later earned a master of philosophy at the University of Cambridge.
After law school…
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