Who Are Usha Vance's Parents? Everything We Know

One of the tragic details about Usha Vance is that she's had to endure racist attacks ever since her husband's campaign for vice president. Throughout it all, she's shown so much grace and poise that not many people could maintain under that kind of constant scrutiny. But if you look at her parents, you'll quickly see where that composure comes from. The second lady doesn't just come from any Indian-American family. She comes from an extraordinarily accomplished family of academics who built their American dream on hard work, education, and excellence. 

Since the late '70s, Vance's parents, Radhakrishna "Krish" and Lakshimi Chilukuri, have called the U.S. their home. Both built extremely successful careers, with Vance's father working in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at San Diego State and her mother working as a marine molecular biologist and teaching at UC San Diego. The couple's shared devotion for higher education and lifelong learning clearly shaped their daughter's work ethic, confidence, and discipline, which is perhaps what got her into some of the world's most prestigious institutions like Yale University and Cambridge University. 

Another thing that's evident in the way Vance speaks about her parents is how fond she is of her childhood. On a June 2025 episode of the "Citizen McCain with Meghan McCain" podcast, the second lady recalled of her mother, "I grew up going in with her all the time when she'd go to her lab. I would go to her office and then we'd run around on the beach at lunch, in the morning, and before we left." This alone paints a very different picture from JD Vance's tragic real-life story.

If you thought Usha Vance's parents simply got lucky and that her success was a happy accident, think again. Vance's younger sister, Shreya Chilukuri, is proof it wasn't just luck. Shreya, having been raised in the same household that upheld higher education, discipline, and cultural pride, naturally followed a similar path as her sister. 

While Shreya may not have gone to Yale, she is an alumni of Duke University. And unlike her sister who was interested in history and philosophy, Shreya opted to follow more closely in her parents' footsteps and chose to pursue a degree in STEM. After completing her studies at Duke in 2012, she went on to work for various companies as a mechanical engineer.

With an engineer as a father and a marine molecular biologist mother, the sisters' academic paths feel like a continuation of their parents' legacy. But the Chilukuris didn't just instill a passion and love for education in their daughters; they also taught them to stay grounded in their roots, culture, and identity. And it's clear it was effective, as Vance's life may have changed completely after becoming second lady, but she has shared repeatedly that she remains a practicing Hindu and makes an effort to educate her children on the very traditions she was raised with. It's a lasting testament to just how deeply her parents' values have impacted and shaped who she is today.