Usha Chilukuri Vancerose to prominence 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, on the other side of the aisle, there is another prominent figure of South Asian descent: Vice President Kamala Harris, the country’s first woman and person of color in her role.
During the primaries, the Republican Party also saw an increase in South Asian representation with presidential candidates including Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, and Tulsi Gabbard.
Some Indian-American political empowerment groups say they are happy there is 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 Republican Party responds to hate speech made about its religious identity.
On Wednesday, Usha Vance introduced her husband, the junior senator from Ohio, at the Republican National Convention 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. “The fact that JD and I even met, let alone fell in love and got married, is a testament to this great country.”
Chintan Patel, executive director of the 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’s possible.
“It’s a huge inspiration for our community in terms of increasing representation among Indian and South Asian Americans,” Patel said.
Usha Vance, 38, was raised by a biologist mother and dean at the University of California at San Diego and an engineer father, according to JD Vance’s campaign. She met her husband at Yale University law school and later earned a master’s degree in philosophy at Cambridge University.
After law school, Usha Vance clerked for conservative judges: first for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, then a Washington appeals court judge, and later for Chief Justice John Roberts.
She was then a solicitor in Munger, Tolles & Olson, a law firm that calls itself “radically progressive.” She left the company shortly after her husband was chosen as Trump’s running mate.
Usha Vance is a registered Republican but identified as a Democrat in 2014.
Patel said that while it is inspiring to see a South Asian woman in Usha Vance’s position, what will matter more to voters is JD Vance’s stance on issues such as immigration, climate change and health care.
Patel said he is not worried about the split of the South Asian vote between the two tickets. He said South Asians will support candidates who share their values, regardless of the racial makeup of the family.
“We are certainly proud that she can be in this position, but we are concerned about the legislation and policies that this potential administration could support,” Patel said.
Some South Asian Americans have already accused the Republican Party and the media of using Usha Vance’s profile to promote a model minority narrative about all Indians, when there are many policies that also harm her community.
At the same time, instances of racism have also been reported, with some even mocking the names of the Vance children.
Deepa Iyer, an Indian-American activist and writer, said most of the Indian community rejects anti-immigrant, racist and homophobic policies. She called the representation at the RNC “fake” and unrepresentative of the Indian community.
“We need people of color and immigrants to promote policies that are inclusive and equitable,” Iyer said. “Instead of policies and platforms that will divide and polarize people. So representation means nothing to the communities that will be affected by these really polarizing policies.”
A 2023 Pew Research Center Study showed that overall, about 62% of Asian American voters identify as Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party and 34% are Republicans. When broken down by demographics, the study showed that 68% of Indian-Americans identify as Democrats and 29% as Republicans.
In 2020, President Joe Biden won 69.6% of the Asian American vote, with 76% of Indian Americans voting for him, perhaps inspired by Harris on the ticket, according to a study from Loyola Marymount and the University of California.
Iyer said there is a lot of dissonance between the Indian Americans who appear on the RNC stage and what is at the core of the party’s ideology. She said speakers are highlighting their immigrant backgrounds, but that anti-immigrant rhetoric is still strong within the party.
“What’s important to remember is that these anti-immigration policies actually affect many people in the Indian community, including families that people like Usha Vance and others are a part of,” Iyer said. “It appears that the children of Indian immigrants on the main stage believe these policies would not apply to them.”
Priti Pandya-Patel, co-founder of the New Jersey Republican Party’s South Asian Coalition, said when she learned that Usha Vance was Indian and Hindu, she felt proud knowing that someone who looked like her could make it to the White House.
“I definitely think about the women’s empowerment part and the diversity part and just being able to have ourselves represented,” Pandya-Patel said. “I’m excited to see he chose someone who can represent the South Asian community.”
Pandya-Patel said Usha Vance’s presence shows how closely associated the Republican Party is with South Asian views.
“Being Hindu, there are a lot of similar values and beliefs in the Republican Party that don’t have to do with religion,” Pandya-Patel said. “I think people are really starting to wake up a little more and see the Republican Party bringing us together.”
Iyer said there is a small group of Indian-Americans and Hindus who are excited about the prospect of someone like Usha Vance being close to the seat of power, but most will be looking at the politics to make a decision.
Suhag Shukla, executive director of the Hindu American Foundation, said there has been greater representation of the South Asian community in positions of power.
If Vance became second lady, “it would be nothing short of historic,” Shukla said.
Despite the rising profile of some South Asians, there are still many cases of anti-Hinduism and discrimination, on both sides, Shukla said. Speaking as a member of the Native American community, Shukla said she is attentive to how critical either party is of hateful statements made about a person’s religion.
She said if Usha Vance becomes second lady, the impact she will have on the community depends on the causes she champions.
“I hope the content of her character and what she brings to the table is the basis on which she is judged,” Shukla said. “Not where her parents are from or how she chooses to pray or worship.”
