The Indian American wife of Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance was hit with a series of racist attacks this week.
The Indian American wife of Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance speaking at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night following series of racist attacks was a «crucial moment», according to a political analyst.
Usha Vance, the daughter of immigrants from India, was born and raised in San Diego, California, before pursuing a career as a lawyer. She married the then-future U.S. senator and Hillbilly Elegy author in 2014 after the couple met at Yale Law School.
A decade later, when former President Donald Trump selected JD Vance as his 2024 running mate, a number of racist far-right MAGA proponents claimed that Usha Vance’s heritage meant that her husband would have a softer immigration stance and fail to «support white identity.»
«Do we really expect that the guy who has an Indian wife and named their kid Vivek is going to support white identity?» white supremacist Nick Fuentes, who dined with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home alongside rapper Kanye West in November 2022, said during a recent episode of his podcast.
During her speech on Wednesday night, Usha Vance did not mention the racist attacks but did highlight the differences between herself and her husband, arguing that their marriage has been «a testament to this great country.»
«That JD and I could meet at all, let alone fall in love and marry, is a testament to this great country», she said. «It is also a testament to JD, and it tells you something about who he is. When JD met me, he approached our differences with curiosity and enthusiasm.»
«He wanted to know everything about me: Where I came from, what my life had been like. Although he’s a meat and potatoes kind of guy, he adapted to my vegetarian diet and learned to cook food for my mother, Indian food», she added before introducing her husband.
