The names of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have been circulating in the news for the last few months. With Trump set to become the 47th president of the U.S., they are in the spotlight more than ever.
But one name seems to be left out of the mix: Usha Vance.
With her husband set to enter the White House next year as vice president, Usha is poised to become the first Indian American second lady.
As a Hindu and a person of color, Usha’s political alignment — especially her support for her husband’s views and Trump’s MAGA platform — has raised confusion. Critics have expressed bewilderment over how someone with a diverse heritage can publicly back a movement often criticized for its divisive rhetoric and policies.
The Republican campaign has prided itself on a focus on nationalism and traditional values, sparking debate about immigration in the U.S.
JD has openly stated that mass deportation must happen by the million, aiming to end immigration altogether. And so, it is Usha’s identity — brown, educated, lawyer, first-generation — that puzzles people.
Even more surprising is that for most of her life, Vance identified as a centrist or liberal. Registered as a Democrat until 2014, her shift toward the MAGA platform has left many with unanswered questions.
Some hold out hope for Usha, who hasn’t blatantly expressed her views, believing she is simply following her powerful husband’s lead. But this isn’t the case.
Understanding Usha requires more than examining her race. It demands expanding the conversation to the often-taboo subject of caste. In South Asian society, caste is a long-standing structure that places individuals in hierarchical categories based on social status, wealth, and family lineage. While caste discrimination has been outlawed in India and other countries, it remains prevalent.
It appears Usha’s views and judgment reflect elements of this supremacy culture. Like many individuals, her caste background may have afforded her privileges, contributing to biases against her own nationality, especially those of lower socioeconomic status.
America’s immigration patterns have favored upper-class South Asians who have access to higher education, making them desirable immigrants. A striking eight out of ten Indian Americans in the U.S. who identify with a caste self-proclaim themselves as belonging to the general or upper caste.
In her Republican National Convention address, Usha positioned herself as a “good” immigrant — a concept many MAGA supporters embrace. She emphasized her family’s success story, subtly reinforcing the notion that certain immigrants, particularly those who share her values and work ethic, deserve a more favorable reception in the U.S.
By framing herself this way, Vance also distanced herself from the very people many MAGA supporters criticize — those who are undocumented or seen as violent. Boasting about her parents’ legal immigration status, she showed little solidarity with other people of color, focusing instead on advancing herself.
During her address, she even joked about her and her husband’s dietary differences. Vegetarianism, often associated with the Brahmin caste in India, carries historical connotations of social superiority. Brahmins have long been regarded as the highest caste in Hindu society. For Brahmins, adhering to a vegetarian diet is a marker of purity and moral righteousness, reflecting an elitist view of discipline and superiority.
Sadly, while Usha may see caste, Trump supporters see color.