Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 7, 1 July 2005 — Former Molokaʻi resident finds connection to Hawaiʻi through literacy [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Former Molokaʻi resident finds connection to Hawaiʻi through literacy

Recent U.S. Census data show that little less than half of all Hawaiians are now located on the continental United States. Although most mainland Hawaiians live on the West Coast, I've managed to connect with a former Moloka'i resident who is one of the more than 2,500 Hawaiians who eall Illinois home. Daniel Gaspar was born and raised in the Kapa'akea homestead area, just outside of Kaunakakai. Now in his early 60s, Daniel attended Kaunakakai Elementary until the eighth grade and later graduated from Moloka'i High School. He credits his parents, Daniel and Sadie Gaspar, and hānai grandparents, Lucy and Pedro Malie, for the success of his formidable years growing up in the small rural eommunity. After high school, Daniel attended the Church College of Hawai'i on Maui and worked as a building missionary. His experience in the field helped him heeome a contrac-

tor and building supervisor. A welltraveled man, Daniel has been to many countries and territories over this lifetime. In terms of life's accomplishments, Daniel has dedicated his life to literacy. "I am most proud of writing a book and short stories with the literacy program in Lake County, Illinois," he said. "I wrote for Co11ections, whieh includes stories from many students." He is very active with the loeal literacy organization and serves on the board of directors of Literacy Volunteers of Lake County. He has helped organize, support and has even performed at many literacy fundraisers like the Hula Bowl, Lū'au for Literacy and Walk for Literacy. His first book, written in 2000, is called the Wind BIows. Lor his efforts, he was awarded the Illinois Secretary of State's Student Achievement Award in 2000. His tutor, Teta Minuzzo, also received that year's Tutor of the Year Award.

"The literacy program has given me many opportunities to attend many state and national literacy conferences. "I would like to encourage other people to do this. If I ean do it, you ean do it too," he attests. "No matter what other people say, there is a helping hand out there, called the literacy program. So don't be afraid." A staunch advocate, he hopes to spread his message to Hawai'i eommunities as well. He recently completed a project titled The Twelve Days of Christmas, the olā Hawaiian way. He put the words and song together as he learned it from back home as a child. He notes that he is still trying to find a promoter to help publish and sell the book back home. He hopes to eome back to Moloka'i to promote the book and literacy in general. "I never forgot home," he said. "Home always will be in my heart because Hawai'i and Moloka'i are my home. No matter where you go,

no matter what you do, no matter what you say, always remember the words of the islands." More than forty years after leaving Moloka 'i, Daniel reports that he misses home and his 'ohana: "I miss the people, I miss the island smells and the bread." Daniel communicates with other Hawai'i "transplants" through email and occasional phone calls. There are always college-aged youths in the area for boot eamp training. He knows they feel homesick and eomforts them with home-cooked meals and memories of home. Daniel and his wife Tammy reside in Waukegan, Illinois and have eight children: Ethan, Timmy, Kimberly, Mika, Tracy, Sean, Jonathan, and a five-year-old named Lilian Leilani. Readers who would like to eontact Daniel to help with his book or his literacy campaign ean eall us for more information, 594-1837.

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Colette Machado Trustee, Moloka'i and Lāna'i