Newsmaker
Monday, November 2, 1998
Name: Dave Del Rocco
Age: 41
Education: Rutgers, UH-Manoa
Position: Children's librarian
Hobbies: Hula, hiking, cooking, singing
Dave Del Rocco fulfills an obligation through language, storytelling, translations and dance. Perpetuating local culture
"You sort of have an obligation by living here to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture," said Del Rocco, formerly from New Jersey. "The very first time I went to a hula performance in 1981 at (Leeward Community College), it really opened up my eyes to the culture here. It was very powerful. It brings everything alive."
Del Rocco was recently selected 1998 Librarian of the Year by the Hawaii State Library Foundation for outstanding customer service, public education efforts and professional and community involvement.
Del Rocco, a children's librarian at the Aina Haina Public Library, recently traveled to Molokai, Maui, Hawaii and Kauai to tell children's stories and legends in both English and Hawaiian at 15 different libraries.
He hopes to do a similar tour on Oahu in November and December.
"I love speaking Hawaiian," said Del Rocco, who studied the Hawaiian language at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for more than 10 years.
"It just sounds great; it has a nice flow to it. I had great teachers."
Del Rocco's love for the Hawaiian language and desire to learn it were rooted in a visit to Kahoolawe, where he heard it being spoken.
"It felt like this is how it was in the olden days," he said. "It was pretty intense to hear the language spoken on that island. It was a very spiritual experience."
His real test was during an impromptu visit to Kekaha School where the Niihau students are all native Hawaiian speakers.
"I was superintimidated. It's their first language, and here's this haole guy from New Jersey speaking Hawaiian."
He shouldn't have worried. The children especially got a kick when he read them a book alternating English and pidgin.
Del Rocco has danced for three different hula halaus since 1985 and has translated children's books from English to Hawaiian for the Department of Education's Hawaiian immersion program, in addition to learning about Hawaiian culture in his spare time.
He has been a resident of the islands for 17 years and is gladdened by some of the changes he has seen.
"It is great to know that there are many kids learning the language," he said. "When I moved here, you hardly heard Hawaiian at all. Now you hear it all over the place."
Being involved in Hawaiian culture, he said, gives people "pride in the culture and aloha for each other."
By Stan Constantino, Star-Bulletin
