Usha Vance became the first Indian- American Second Lady when her husband JD Vance was sworn in as the 50th Vice President on Monday 20 Jan.
Vance was sworn in by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh in the presence of Donald Trump, several other officials and his wife. Holding the Bible in one hand, and her child Mirabel in the other, Usha Vance looked on admiringly as her husband took the oath.
Her path to the White House, however, was not free from controversy.
When it was first announced that JD Vance was re-elected in the race for Vice President, Usha Vance also made the global headlines due to her Indian roots, with many questioning whether a person of colour could truly embrace typical right-wing stances towards issues such as immigration.
Second lady Usha Vance and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance with their children arrive during an indoor inauguration parade at the Capital One Arena
Here is a look at Mrs. Vance’s custom Oscar de la Renta dress 💕💕 pic.twitter.com/QNmONR5j2m
— Remoulade Sauce (@Remisagoodboy) January 20, 2025
Usha Chilukuri Vance is the daughter of Telugu immigrants who hailed from Andhra Pradesh. Her father Radhakrishna Chilukuri is a mechanical engineer and her mother, Lakshmi Chilukuri is a provost at the University of California, San Diego. Vance was born and raised in the US and graduated from the prestigious Yale University with a degree in history before attending Yale Law School.
It was during her years in law school that she met JD Vance. They later married in 2014 and have three children.
In addition to her highly distinguished career where she clerked for several Supreme Court Justices, including Kavanaugh and Justice John Roberts, she played a monumental role in her husband’s senate campaigns both in 2016 and 2022. It was in 2022 that her husband was finally elected as the Senator of Ohio.
Vadluru village of Godavari #AndhraPradesh known to be the ancestral village of Usha Vance- wife of the new US Vice President JD Vance, burst fire crackers to celebrate their victory @JDVance #USElections2024 pic.twitter.com/NpPL9OIubD
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) November 7, 2024
Her husband has given her great credit for his successes, citing her as his “spirit guide” in his memoir Hillbilly Elegy and praising her for her dedication and commitment to her goals. After he was announced as the Vice President candidate, his wife resigned from her job as a litigator at a prominent law firm to focus more on raising their children.
Whilst general attitudes towards Vance have been mixed, her ascension to the role of Second Lady has been met with celebration in the Vadlaru village in the West Godavari district from which her family hails.
Even Andhra Pradesh Minister for Information Technology and Electronics, Nara Lokesh, expressed his pride, stating “We’re proud as people of AP origins continue to make their mark in various spheres across the world.”
While Usha Vance has generally stayed out of the public eye in the past, her new role as Second Lady will likely require more public appearances. However, because the responsibilities of this position remain largely undefined, it remains unclear how involved she will be in politics.
READ MORE: Usha Vance: Indian-origin wife of Trump’s VP running mate – Indian Link
