What Usha Vance’s rise to fame means for other South Asian and Indian Americans

Usha Chilukuri VanceShe entered the spotlight this week as the wife of JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election.

Her rise comes at a time when, across the aisle, there is another prominent figure of South Asian descent: Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman in the country and a woman of color to serve in her role.

During its primaries, the Republican Party also saw increased South Asian representation with presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley.

Some Indian-American political empowerment groups say they are glad there is more representation, but they don’t believe Usha Vance’s rise to prominence will sway more politically liberal South Asian American voters. Others say what needs to be examined is how the Republican Party responds to hate speech about their 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 were able to meet, let alone fall in love and marry, 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.

“She’s a huge inspiration to our community in terms of increasing representation among Indian and South Asian Americans,” Patel said.

Usha Vance, 38, was raised by a mother who was a biologist and chancellor of the University of California, San Diego, and a father who was an engineer, according to the JD Vance campaign. She met her husband at Yale University law school and later earned a master’s degree in philosophy from Cambridge University.

After graduating from law school, Usha Vance clerked for conservative judges: first for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, then for an appeals court judge in Washington, and later for Chief Justice John Roberts.

At the time, she was a trial attorney at Munger, Tolles & Olson, a law firm that bills itself as “radically progressive.” She left the firm shortly after her husband was chosen as Trump’s running mate.

Usha Vance is a registered Republican, but in 2014 identified herself as a Democrat.

Patel said that while it’s inspiring to see a South Asian woman in Usha Vance’s position, what will matter most to voters is JD Vance’s stance on issues like immigration, climate change and health care.

Patel said she is not worried about the South Asian vote being split between the two lists. She said South Asians will support candidates who share their values, regardless of the racial makeup of their family.

“We are certainly proud that she is able to serve in this position, but we are concerned about the legislation and policies that this potential administration might 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 their community.

At the same time, there have also been reports of racism, with some even mocking the names of the Vances’ children.

Deepa Iyer, an Indian-American activist and writer, said the majority of the Indian community rejects anti-immigrant, racist and homophobic policies. She called the representation at the Republican National Convention “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 are going to divide and polarize people. So representation means nothing to the communities that are going to be affected by these really polarizing policies.”

TO Pew Research Center Study 2023 The 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 demographic group, 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 list, according to a study conducted by Loyola Marymount and the University of California.

Iyer said there is a lot of dissonance between Indian Americans appearing on the Republican National Convention stage and what is at the core of the party’s ideology. He said speakers are highlighting their immigrant backgrounds, but anti-immigrant rhetoric is still strong within the party.

“What’s important to remember is that these anti-immigrant policies actually affect a lot of people in the Indian community, including families that include people like Usha Vance and others,” Iyer said. “It seems like the children of Indian immigrants in that main arena believe that these policies wouldn’t apply to them.”

Priti Pandya-Patel, co-founder of the New Jersey Republican Party’s South Asian Coalition, said that when she learned that Usha Vance was Indian and Hindu, she felt a sense of pride knowing that someone like her could make it to the White House.

“I definitely think about the women empowerment part and diversity and being able to have us represented,” Pandya-Patel said. “I’m excited to see that she 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.

“As a Hindu, there are a lot of similar values ​​and beliefs in the Republican Party that have nothing to do with religion,” Pandya-Patel said. “I think people are starting to wake up a little bit more and see that the Republican Party brings us together.”

Iyer said there is a small group of Indian Americans and Hindus who are excited at the prospect of someone like Usha Vance nearing the seat of power, but most will look at politics before making 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 were to become second lady, “it would be nothing short of historic,” Shukla said.

Despite the rising profile of some South Asians, there are still many instances of anti-Hinduism and discrimination, from both sides, Shukla said. Speaking as a member of the Indian-American community, Shukla said she keeps an eye out to see how critical each side 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 will depend on the causes she champions.

“I hope the content of her character and what she brings to the table is the basis for judging her,” Shukla said. “Not where her parents are from or how she chooses to pray or worship.”

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This story was modified to correct that Kamala Harris is not the first vice president of color. A reference identifying Tulsi Gabbard as South Asian was also removed.