‘Which Tribe’: How JD Vance's Mother Reacted When She Learned Usha Was Indian

Last Updated:June 19, 2026, 14:06 IST

Explaining the incident, Vance said the question reflected his family's limited exposure to different cultures rather than any attempt to demean or mock Usha's background.

US Vice President JD Vance has often spoken openly about his personal life and his 12-year interfaith marriage with Usha Vance. In a recent podcast appearance, he recalled how his mother reacted when he first told her about Usha’s Indian heritage.

According to Vance, his mother asked him, “Which tribe?" after he told her that Usha was Indian. Usha was born in California to Indian immigrant parents who moved to the United States from Andhra Pradesh about four decades ago.

“She said, ‘What is she like ethnically?’ And I said, ‘Mom, she’s Indian’. And my mom says, ‘Which tribe?'" Vance recalled.

Explaining the incident, Vance said the question reflected his family’s limited exposure to different cultures rather than any attempt to demean or mock Usha’s background.

“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 further said.

Vance has recently appeared in several interviews following the release of his book, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, which chronicles his conversion to Catholicism and its influence on his political and personal beliefs.

His recollection sparked debate on social media. While some viewed the “tribe" comment as evidence of ignorance, others accused Vance of embarrassing his wife. However, the story’s context suggested that the remark was not intended as an insult.

In the United States, the term “Indian" can refer both to people from India and to Native Americans, many of whom belong to tribes. Native Americans are also historically and sometimes colloquially referred to as ‘Red Indians’. Vance’s mother may have believed he was referring to native Americans.

The Vice President said the episode illustrated how little his family initially knew about cultures different from their own, but added that his mother and relatives eventually embraced Usha warmly.

He also reflected on similarities between his wife, his mother and his grandmother, despite their vastly different backgrounds.

Speaking about his greatest regret, Vance said his late grandmother, whom he affectionately called ‘Mamaw’, never got the chance to meet Usha.

“There’s something so similar about them, but so different. Like they’re both incredibly smart," Vance said.

Vance and Usha first met in 2010 while studying at Yale University’s School of Law. Four years later, they married in an interfaith ceremony that incorporated traditional Hindu rites. The couple have three children and is expecting a fourth.

Recounting the qualities that first drew him to Usha, Vance said her straightforward nature immediately stood out to him.

“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 further said.

Last year, Vance found himself at the centre of another controversy after saying at a college event that he hoped his Hindu wife would eventually embrace Christianity. Vance himself converted to Catholicism in 2019.

The comments drew criticism from sections of the Indian-American community, with some describing them as disrespectful towards Hindus amid growing hostility towards immigrants in the United States.

Usha, who continues to practise Hinduism, later addressed the issue, saying her relationship with Vance is frequently misunderstood.

“It’s not like he’s proselytising to me every day… I am not Catholic, and I am not intending to convert or anything like that," Usha said.

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