As Donald Trump cruises to victory, all eyes are now turning to the core team he will assemble to implement his policies. Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert Kennedy Jr are some names expected to be shortlisted for prime positions. James D Vance the running mate of Donald Trump is also set for the post of Vice President. When he takes the post, his wife Usha Vance will become the second lady of the United States. It has been revealed that Usha Chilukuri Vance, an accomplished woman of Indian origin had a granduncle who was part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Usha Vance, born as Usha Chilukuri is an American of Indian origin, born in San Diego, California to Telugu-speaking Indian immigrants. Her father is a mechanical engineer from IIT Madras and a lecturer at San Diego State University, and her mother is a molecular biologist at the University of California, San Diego. Usha’s family belongs to the Telugu community and migrated from Andhra Pradesh, India, in the 1980s.
Usha has gained significant attention for her Indian roots both in the United States and back at her home of origin, India. One of her close relatives was also a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker and was jailed during the Emergency in India. “Usha is the granddaughter of Ramasastry, my husband Subramanya Sastry’s eldest brother. My husband spent two years in jail during the Emergency as he was an RSS worker,” Shanthamma Chilukuri, Usha’s great-aunt, told The Times of India
Her great-aunt Shanthamma, at 96, is India’s oldest active professor, travelling 60 km daily to teach physics at a university in Visakhapatnam. Shanthamma Chilukuri told Reuters that many in the family were well-versed in ancient texts like Upanishads and Vedas. She has authored a book on verses from the Bhagavad Gita.
The Chilukuri family places a strong emphasis on education, with Usha’s father and grandfather associated with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). “Most of our family is academically strong and education has been a top priority,” Chilukuri said.
The family hails from Vadduru in Andhra Pradesh but moved to Chennai when Usha’s grandfather, Ramasastry Chilukuri, joined the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in 1959. The IIT now runs a student award in the memory of Ramasastry, who used to teach physics.
Usha herself graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in history and from Yale Law School with a Juris Doctor degree. In 2019, she was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar and subsequently worked for a leading law firm handling civil litigation. She resigned from her law firm job in July 2024.
Usha married author and politician James D. Vance in 2014. The couple have three children together. JD Vance is the running mate and the next Vice President of the United States. At the Republican National Convention in July 2024, Usha Vance delivered the introductory address for her husband, JD Vance. Since then, she has been an advisor to her husband and often travels with him to campaign events, occasionally appearing onstage with him. After Donald Trump’s electoral triumph in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Usha Vance will assume office in the role of Second Lady of the United States in January 2025.
Usha is a practicing Hindu, and JD Vance has credited her for helping him find his Christian faith. The two even married with both Christian and Hindu rituals. The humble but meritorious Chilukuri family will now have another great story as part of their illustrious lineage. From the humble beginnings of Ramasastry Chilukuri in Andhra, to Usha Chilukuri Vance, the soon to be second lady of the United States of America.
