Usha Chilukuri Vance, the daughter of Indian immigrant parents and wife of Donald Trump’s VP nominee JD Vance, recently made her political debut at the Republican National Convention. While she proudly spoke about her parents and upbringing, the crowd at RNC were holding placards featuring an immigrant-bashing message of “mass deportation”.
During her speech, Usha shared that she and JD both come from different backgrounds. She was raised in a middle-class neighborhood in San Diego by devoted parents who were immigrants from India. She mentioned that JD adjusted to her vegetarian diet and even picked up the skill of making Indian food for her parents.
When JD talked against “illegal aliens” entering the United States, attendees yelled “send them back”.
Meanwhile, businessman and ex-Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also cited his family’s immigration history, but he did so in a way that made his message regarding illegal immigrants more clearer.
“You’re like my parents,” he declared in a message to every lawful immigrant in the US. He added that they all deserve a chance to ensure that their kids have a better life in America. He, however, asserted that “our message to illegal immigrants is also this: We will return you to your country of origin.”
Following her RNC speech, several social media users started bashing Usha for what they perceive to be a blatant contradiction: the strong anti-immigrant emotion that was prevalent among the people she was addressing to.
“Two startling and contrasting images from the #RNCConvention. All night an immigrant bashing message of MASS DEPORTATION. Then #UshaVance takes the stage, a brilliant, impressive and attractive wife of @JDVance1. Daughter of immigrants from India,” one X user wrote.
“Usha Vance talking about being a daughter of immigrants as the mostly white people at the RNC hold ‘Mass Deportations Now’ signs is quite the scene,” another reacted.
“Usha Vance, a Hindu and daughter of immigrants standing there speaking to a group of people holding Mass Deportation signs has got to be the most backwards thinking I’ve ever seen,” a third user posted.
Here’s what an expert has to say
Speaking to NBC News about immigrants, the hot topic that has taken a centre stage at 2024 US elections, Amherst College professor Pawan Dhingra stressed on good and bad immigrants. According to him, the Republican Party “is just trying to embrace, quote unquote, ‘good immigrants.’”
Dhingra highlighted that such rhetoric is dangerous when it comes from children of immigrants like Ramaswamy and Usha because it creates a rift among communities of color whose histories are almost similar. He believes that having an Indian American Hindu spouse at Trump campaign will validate the Republican Party’s claims of not being anti-immigrant.
The professor concluded his remarks, stating it is illogical to categorise immigrants as either good or bad as it is the US government that has set legal immigration thresholds.
JD Vance supporter, Trump campaign react to criticism
Jai Chabria, who is JD Vance‘s adviser and family friend, reacted to the criticim being faced by Usha. “White liberals attacking a successful brown woman with such vitriol is exactly why the Democrats are bleeding so many minority voters right now,” he stated.
Steven Cheung, the head of communications for the Trump campaign, agreed that the backlash was baseless.
He stated, “It is disgusting that out-of-touch liberals and far-left media lose their minds and self-implode when faced with a wildly successful diverse figure who they think should be blindly aligned with them.”