US Vice President JD Vance shared an anecdote about his interfaith marriage to Second Lady Usha Vance. Recalling the conversation on a podcast, Vance said his mother was curious about Usha’s background when he first told her about their relationship.
Speaking about his conversation with his mother on a podcast, Vance said that when he told her that Usha was Indian, her immediate response was, “Which tribe?”
“She asked, ‘What is she like ethnically?’ and I replied, ‘Mom, she’s Indian.’ To that, my mom responded, ‘Which tribe?'” Vance said, highlighting his family’s reaction to his relationship with Usha.
However, he immediately clarified, saying that his mother did not have ill intentions and was just unfamiliar with different cultures.
“So, they came from very different worlds, both Mom and Usha… But you know, my Mom said it just goes to show sometimes how little some of us knew about the world,” the US Vice President added.
Vance further said that although his mother, grandmother and wife came from different backgrounds, they are similar in their qualities. He further talked about his biggest regret, stating that his late grandmother, whom he used to call “Mamaw”, could never meet Usha Vance.
“There’s something so similar about them, but so different. Like they’re both incredibly smart,” he said.
“Usha just doesn’t have a filter. It’s one of the things I was immediately attracted to about her is that even if she was going to offend you, she was going to say exactly what was on her mind… I think my grandmother would be fascinated by her,” he added.
Vance and Usha got married in in 2014 after meeting at Yale Law School. The couple has three children together. Usha Vance’s family originates from Vadluru, a village near Tanuku in the border region of Andhra Pradesh.