Lagatar24 Desk
Washington, D.C.: JD Vance, the son of a mother struggling with addiction and raised by his grandmother in an economically challenged Ohio community, faced significant adversities during his upbringing. In contrast, Usha Chilukuri, the daughter of Indian immigrants, grew up in California in a family that highly valued academic and professional achievements; her father was an IIT-trained mechanical engineer, and her mother, a marine biologist. Despite their differing backgrounds, the two found common ground at Yale Law School, where they collaborated on an important writing project. As Usha put it, “We were friends first; I mean, who wouldn’t want to be friends with JD?”
From Friendship to Marriage
Their relationship blossomed from friendship to romance. Vance recounted in his memoir Hillbilly Elegy that his initial feelings for Usha were intense and overwhelming. “I thought about her constantly,” he wrote. “One friend described me as ‘heartsick,’ and another said he had never seen me like this.” Once Vance discovered that Usha was single, he asked her out, leading to a relationship that steadily deepened.
Usha played a crucial role in supporting Vance as he navigated new and unfamiliar environments. However, their journey wasn’t without challenges. Vance shared a moment when his difficulty managing stress during a relationship conflict led him to storm out of a hotel room after a disappointing interview. He later apologized, recalling how Usha responded with calm resilience, saying, “She calmly told me through her tears that it was never acceptable to run away.”
A Partnership Rooted in Strength and Cultural Fusion
The couple married in 2014, and their intercultural bond has provided a strong foundation in their personal and professional lives. At the Republican National Convention, Usha introduced JD by saying, “That JD and I could meet, let alone fall in love and marry, is testament to this great country.” She shared how JD, a “meat and potatoes guy,” adapted to her vegetarian lifestyle and even learned to cook Indian dishes for her mother.
Today, their enduring partnership has taken them to one of the highest stages in American politics, as JD Vance, a venture capitalist and bestselling author, steps into the role of Vice President-elect.
