Archives West Finding Aid

This oral history interview with Prashant Kakad was conducted by Sankar Raman on July 20, 2017. The interview was recorded for The Immigrant Story, an organization that documents and archives the stories of immigrants and refugees in the United States. In this interview, Kakad discusses his early life in India, including his father's career in the Air Force and later as a police officer in Bombay. He describes life in Bombay as a teenager, the pressure to succeed at education in the sciences, and his passion for music and dance. He talks about competing in singing competitions in high school, attending Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai, and organizing cultural events at his college. He describes applying to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

Kakad discusses his experience studying polymer science and working as a research assistant at Cornell University. He talks about adjusting to life in the United States, realizing that he didn't want to pursue a career in chemical engineering, and rediscovering his passion for dance and music. He discusses dealing with body image issues and depression. He then talks about moving to Hillsboro, Oregon, and working for Intel; learning and performing classical Indian singing; and teaching his own dance choreography based on Bollywood music. He also gives a brief history of Bollywood music. He describes quitting his job at Intel in 2009 and beginning his career as a DJ. He then talks about the process of getting his green card. He closes the interview by discussing people who helped him succeed.