Who is Usha Chilukuri Vance, the future Second Lady of the USA?

Usha Chilukuri Vance, the wife of Donald Trump's vice presidential running mate JD Vance, is expected to become the first Indian-origin Second Lady of the United States. Their roots go back to Andhra Pradesh, India. Born and raised in a suburb of San Diego, Usha's ancestral village prays for improvements to their land and hopes that their historical position will bring positive change.

A highly qualified lawyer and daughter of Indian immigrants, Usha Vance is known for her academic success. Her husband, JD Vance, is the vice presidential candidate in Trump's campaign.

During a rally, Donald Trump praised JD Vance and his wife, saying: “I want to be the first to congratulate – now I can say Vice President-elect JD Vance. And his remarkable and beautiful wife, Usha Vance.” Trump also described Vance as a “joyful guy,” with both JD and Usha present on stage alongside Trump's wife Melania.

More about Usha Vance's Indian roots

Ancestral Roots: Usha Vance comes from Vadluru, a village in Andhra Pradesh, India. Her family moved abroad over 50 years ago and has since contributed to the village by donating land for temples such as Sai Baba, Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy and Goddess Bala Seeta Temple, built for the benefit of the village.

Prayers for Vance's success: Villagers in Vadluru have prayed for JD Vance's electoral success and hope that his victory will make the village proud and strengthen India-US relations.

Family ties to the village: Although Usha has never visited the village, her father, Chilukuri Radhakrishnan, visited about three years ago to inquire about the condition of the temples.

Usha Vance's Background: Yale Law School graduate Usha Vance is expected to become the first non-white Second Lady of the United States if Donald Trump is re-elected. Usha met her husband JD Vance at Yale Law School and the couple married in 2014. They have three children together.

Immigrant Heritage: Usha Vance's parents immigrated to the United States from India in 1986. She was born in San Diego and grew up in an upper middle class suburb. Usha's great-grandfather left Vadluru and her father grew up in Chennai before pursuing further education in the US. Usha Vance's story is representative of the growing Indian-American community, with the U.S. Census showing that Indians are the country's second-largest Asian ethnic group, growing 50% to 4.8 million people from 2010 to 2020.