JD Vance reveals how Usha Vance has received 'celebrity status' in India
Image credits: Getty Images
American Vice President
JD Vance
was on an official visit to India from April 21-24, 2025. During his trip he was accompanied by his wife
Usha Chilikuri Vance
and their three children. While Vance's visit may have raised hopes for the bilateral trade between the two countries, what really had the Indian public and media excited was the arrival of the second lady of America who is not only the first Indian-American second lady of the United States but also the first Hindu American one.
From media houses roaring about the second lady's Indian connection to people priding in an Indian-origin woman holding a powerful political status in America, it is safe to say as much as JD Vance's visit was looked upon by the Indian government,
Usha Vance
was the one who had all eyes on her.
Usha Vance has achieved 'celebrity' status
Image credits: Getty Images
In his speech in Jaipur, JD Vance himself seemed to be awestruck with Usha's popularity in India, saying, 'She's a bit of a celebrity, it turns out, in India, I think more so than her husband."
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around
Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List
Undo
This remains true for the most part considering various media outlets mentioned how the Vance kids had all worn Indian ethnic clothes during their visit.
Additionally, a lot of light was shined on Usha's Indian heritage which goes back to a Telugu-speaking family in Andhra Pradesh, specifically the
Vadluru village
in East Godavari district and Saipuram village in Krishna district.
During Usha's visit to India, many of her family members in the country came into the limelight such as her great aunt
Shanthamma Chilikuri
, a 96-year-old physicist and former village head P Srinivasa Raju whose grandfather was friends with Usha's grandfather.
Usha's great-aunt revealed in an interview that the last time she had seen the second lady was "as a child" when she was visiting relatives in Chennai. Usha's grandfather was one of the five brothers of her husband.
Raju, also shared that the village had built a temple at the site where Usha's ancestral family lived and how they would love for the second lady to visit the temple if she visited again.
Who is Usha Chilikuri Vance?
Image credits: X/@archer_rs
Usha Bala Chilikuri was born to Radhakrishna Chilikuri and Lakshmi Chilikuri, who migrated to the States in the late 1970s. Usha spent most of her childhood in San Diego and grew up to study at
Yale Law School
, where she met her now-husband, JD Vance. Ever since their marriage, the couple and their children have never visited their Indian roots, and the official trip marked their first-ever visit to India.
JD Vance himself seemed to be quite impressed with the country's culture and beauty, saying, 'I am amazed by the ancient beauty of the architecture of India's history, by the richness of India's history and tradition, but also by India's laser-like focus on the future. I think this appreciation for history and tradition and this focus on the future is very much something that I think animates this country in 2025. Now in other countries I've visited, it sometimes feels like there's a flatness, a saneness, a desire to just be like everyone else in the world. But it's different here."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
Spokane Police arrest over 30 during immigration protests amid ICE detention dispute
Immigration protests in Spokane lead to dozens of arrests Two major immigration protests in Spokane on Wednesday, June 11, led to more than 30 arrests and the imposition of a citywide curfew, following a confrontation between demonstrators and federal immigration authorities. The unrest centered around the detention of two asylum seekers at a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office. Mayor Lisa Brown implemented a curfew beginning at 9:30 p.m. for the area encompassing Riverfront Park and parts of downtown Spokane. It marked the first curfew since the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. The affected zone extended from Boone Avenue to Spokane Falls Boulevard, and from Howard Street to Division Street. Also read: LA Riots 2025 Live Updates: Los Angeles police have made nearly 400 arrests and detentions since Saturday Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Sarah Ferguson breaks her silence about Prince Andrew Cleverst Undo 'We want everybody to be safe and we thought this was the best path forward in order to achieve that,' said Brown to The Spokane Review. 'I made the decision that the safest course of action was by Spokane Police , not ICE, to try to safely disperse the crowd', she added. Community response to asylum seeker detentions sparks protest The protests began when demonstrators blocked ICE officers from leaving their downtown office with detained individuals Cesar Alexander Alvarez Perez, a Venezuelan asylum seeker, and Joswar Slater Rodriguez Torres from Colombia. Both men had previously been employed at a local Walmart on work visas, which were recently revoked. Live Events Former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart called for public support via social media and joined the protest, stating: 'They've done everything right, and they're escaping horrible situations, and then to have them come in for a checkup and be detained illegally is morally reprehensible.' Stuckart, who became Alvarez Perez's legal guardian weeks prior, said both men arrived for a scheduled check-in but were detained before he could advocate on their behalf. 'Each of them has a stack of legal paperwork at least 2 inches thick... and they clearly didn't look at it,' he said. Also read: Doechii uses BET awards victory to spotlight LA protests and criticize Trump administration Police response and curfew escalate protests Law enforcement responded with over 185 officers to manage the protests, deploying pepper balls and smoke grenades, according to Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall. He clarified that rubber bullets were not used. 'Certainly there were peaceful folks demonstrating and utilizing their First Amendment rights, and there were also people in the crowd who were committing crimes,' Hall said. Protesters constructed barricades using park benches and Lime scooters to block ICE vehicles. Around 5:25 p.m., approximately 150 demonstrators attempted to prevent three unmarked law enforcement vehicles from exiting a fenced lot, leading to physical altercations with officers. A second protest later that evening at Riverfront Park escalated after 7:30 p.m. when police began making arrests and deploying tear gas. Witnesses said officers used paintball-style weapons before tear gas was released. Local leaders divided on protest tactics and law enforcement The protests drew local officials, activists, and residents, including Spokane County Democratic Party Chair Naida Spencer and state Rep. Timm Ormsby. Community leaders expressed concern about ICE tactics and immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump's administration. Also read: LA protest 2025: Who's fueling the unrest, what they want, and why it matters right now Latinos en Spokane Director Jennyfer Mesa, whose organization represents both detainees, said: 'They're good kids... They're doing the process and everything legally. I just don't understand why they're being detained.' City Council members expressed varying views on the events. Council President Betsy Wilkerson stated: 'We're not trying to throw more wood on this fire, to elevate it to more than a peaceful protest.' Councilman Jonathan Bingle offered a contrasting perspective: 'The moment a protest turns into small vandalism, threats, or lawlessness, it is no longer protected speech. It becomes a crime, and should be dealt with as such.' Councilman Paul Dillon voiced support for the demonstrators. 'No human being is illegal,' he said. 'This is a direct result of the escalation and fears the Trump administration inflicts on communities which create chaos.'
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
18 minutes ago
- First Post
Israel is 'fully ready' to attack Iran's nuclear sites, US on high alert
The US is on high alert amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, as Israel could launch a strike on Iran's nuclear sites, with no clear breakthrough in talks between Washington and Tehran. read more Advertisement Representational Image- AFP The United States is on high alert over concerns that Israel might launch a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, The Washington Post reported. The Trump administration is concerned that Israel could target Iran's nuclear sites without US approval if nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran break down. Amid these fears, heightened tensions have emerged as hopes fade for President Trump to reach a deal with Tehran to limit Iran's nuclear programme and prevent another major conflict in the Middle East following the Israel-Hamas war. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump said on Wednesday that the United States would not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. 'They can't have a nuclear weapon. Very simple, they can't have a nuclear weapon,' he said. West Asia is 'a dangerous place': Trump Speaking at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Wednesday evening, President Trump said: 'They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we'll see what happens. We've given notice to move out, and we'll see what happens.' US pulling non-essential personnels According to reports, the US is also planning a partial evacuation of its embassy in Iraq and will allow families of military personnel to leave certain locations in the Middle East due to heightened security threats, Reuters reported, citing US and Iraqi sources. The State Department said it had ordered the departure of all non-essential personnel from the US Embassy in Baghdad following its latest review and a commitment 'to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad.' The embassy was already operating with limited staff, so the order will not affect a large number of personnel. Meanwhile, Israel has informed the US that it is fully prepared to launch a strike on Iran, CBS News reported, citing several American officials. Iran's warning Iran has repeatedly warned that the United States, as Israel's main military and political supporter, would face consequences if Israel attacks Iran. On Wednesday, Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said that if Iran is targeted, it will retaliate by striking US bases in the region.
India.com
19 minutes ago
- India.com
We will destroy US military base if..., THIS Muslim country issues warning to US, Donald Trumps asks Americans to..., Nuclear talks to...
US President Trump- File image New Delhi: In a stern message to the United States, Iran has said that if nuclear talks fail and a military conflict with the US begins, it will target American military bases present in the region. The Donald Trump administration, on the other hand, has increased the security at its military bases in the Middle East as the nuclear talks with Iran appear to be heading toward failure. Iran's Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, while addressing the media on Wednesday, gave this concerning statement. It is important to note that the warning comes at a time when tensions are rising ahead of the sixth round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program. Know the entire matter here With an aim to revive the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), which was unilaterally scrapped by then-President Donald Trump in 2018, the nuclear talks between Iran and the United States commenced in April. After returning to power in January 2025, Trump has once again implemented his 'maximum pressure' policy, which includes diplomatic efforts as well as threats of military action. Iran's Defense Minister, Nasirzadeh, said, 'Some American officials are threatening that if the negotiations fail, a conflict could begin. If war is imposed on us, all American bases in the region will be within our range, and we will strike them without hesitation.' Nasirzadeh also informed that Iran has recently tested a missile equipped with a two-ton warhead, indicating that the country is further strengthening its military capabilities. What is the US stance? President Donald Trump said on a podcast Wednesday that he is now less hopeful about the nuclear deal than he was before. He stated, 'I'm not as confident now as I was a few months ago. Something has happened, and I'm less optimistic about the deal.' The US president also reiterated that America will prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons—whether through diplomacy or military action. He added that he is hoping for talks on Thursday, while Tehran has said the talks will take place on Sunday in Oman. Iran has indicated that it will respond to a previous U.S. proposal, which it had earlier rejected.
