Which tribe? JD Vance recalls mother's confusion over Usha's Indian roots

US Vice President JD Vance has never shied away from offering a candid window into his 12-year interfaith marriage with Usha Vance. Recently, the Vice President, in a podcast, shared a personal anecdote on his mother's reaction when she was told about Usha's Indian roots. Vance said when he told his mother that Usha was Indian, she asked, "Which tribe?"

Vance said his mother's question came from a lack of familiarity with different cultures rather than any intention to mock or dismiss Usha's heritage. Usha was born in California to Indian immigrant parents who relocated to America from Andhra Pradesh around 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.

"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.

JD VANCE ON FAMILY, USHA, AND PERSONAL LIFE

Vance has been giving a spate of interviews following the release of his latest book - Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith - which details his conversion to Catholicism and how it shaped his politics and personal life.

The anecdote by Vance stirred a massive debate on social media, with some interpreting the "tribe" remark as a sign of ignorance. A section also criticised Vance for humiliating his wife.

However, the context of Vance's story suggests that his mother's remark was not meant as an insult.

In the US, the word "Indian" carries different meanings. It is used to refer to both people from India and native Indians of America, many of whom belong to different tribes. In fact, Native Americans are historically, and sometimes colloquially, referred to as 'Red Indians'. Vance's mother may have assumed that he was talking about native Americans.

The US Vice President himself described the remark by his mother as an example of how little his family initially knew about different cultures. However, Vance said it did not stop his mother and relatives from eventually embracing Usha wholeheartedly.

Vance said while his mother, grandmother and wife came from very different worlds, they shared many of the same qualities.

When asked about his greatest regret, the US Vice President candidly said it was his late grandmother, whom he fondly called 'Mamaw', never having the opportunity to meet Usha.

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

Vance and Usha met in 2010 while studying at Yale University's School of Law. They married four years later in 2014 in an interfaith wedding that included traditional Hindu rites. The couple have three children, with a fourth child expected soon.

Vance recounted that what attracted him to Usha was her bluntness.

"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.

WHEN VANCE SPOKE ABOUT USHA'S FAITH

Last year, Vance waded into controversy after he said at a college event that he hoped his Hindu wife would someday convert to Christianity. Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019.

His remark ruffled the feathers of the Indian-Americans in the US, with a section describing his words as denigrating towards Hindus at a time of rising hostilities towards immigrants in the US.

Later, Usha, a practising Hindu, clarified that her relationship with Vance is often 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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