Maia, Alex Shibutani talk new book, life transitions, and AAPI representation

Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani‘s accomplishments include two bronze medals at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and becoming the first Asian American ice dance couple elected to U.S. Figure Skating’s Hall of Fame. Now the siblings are making a greater impact off the ice by teaching the next generation about the history of Asian American and Pacific Islander success in their new picture book that was released last month.

The Shibutanis discussed the writing process, the significance of visibility and representation for people of all backgrounds, what life looks like since they stopped competing and what they learned from Maia’s battle with a kidney tumor.

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Congratulations on your new book Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All. Tell me about why you decided to write this book.

Alex Shibutani: Education. We grew up without a book like this. I think that there’s a really natural connection between us getting exposure to the work that happens in Figure Skating in Harlem (an organization that transforms the lives of young girls of color through the combination of figure skating and education) at a very young age and sort of our experience with wanting to add to the representation that we see in children’s literature because as Asian Americans and part of the AAPI community, sadly there isn’t enough. We wanted to create this book so that the next generation can be inspired, but then also so that people from other backgrounds can learn about this community.

A post shared by Alex Hideo Shibutani (@alexshibutani)

How do you think having this book around when you were younger would have impacted you?

Maia Shibutani: I think when you talk