Simon Tam

Simon Tam

Hidden Hero of History

Dorktales Podcast: Episode 99

An inspiring story that will rock your world! Meet Simon Tam, the visionary founder of the Asian American band, The Slants. Follow his path from a young music lover to a trailblazing activist who stood up for free speech and fair representation. His desire to reclaim a hurtful term and turn it into something positive and empowering became a groundbreaking case at the U.S. Supreme Court. Discover how his fight for the band’s name became a victory for artistic expression. Simon’s story shows us that resilience, courage and using one’s voice—and music—can make a difference.

Did You Know?

Simon Tam is an American author, musician, activist, and entrepreneur. He is best known as the bassist and founder of the Asian American dance-rock band, the Slants®.

Simon Tam was born in San Diego, California, and discovered his love for music as a child. He would stage concerts for his family using his dad’s guitar before he knew how to play. Simon developed a deep appreciation for pop music through exploring his father’s record collection. Eventually,  the bass became his instrument of choice. 

Growing up, Simon experienced bullying, often because of his Asian American heritage. He also witnessed that his family members were treated similarly. Music became a safe space for Simon, helping him cope with these difficult experiences. 

Simon went to college on a scholarship to study philosophy and religion, but he soon realized his true calling was music. He left college and moved to Portland, Oregon, where he joined a band called The Stivs. However, it was with his next band, The Slants, that Simon’s music career truly took off.

Simon noticed a significant lack of Asian American representation in entertainment– including the music, television, and film industries. He decided to change this by forming an Asian American band called The Slants. The band’s name was a bold choice, intended to reclaim the term “slants,” often used to mock and hurt Asian people. Simon aimed to turn the negative stereotype into something positive and empowering.

However, when Simon tried to trademark the band’s name, the United States Patent and Trademark Office rejected his request, claiming the name was racist. This means that they determined that the word was being used to humiliate a race, even though Simon and his band wanted to take away its power to hurt. 

Despite this setback, Simon was determined to challenge the decision, knowing that other non-Asian people had been allowed to trademark offensive terms in the past. He saw the rejection as unfair and fought back by taking the case to court. Simon’s battle was an act of activism, as he sought to stand up for free speech and fair representation.

Simon shared evidence to fight back against the decision, like testimonies from dictionary experts, community surveys, and even letters from Asian American leaders. But his appeal to get the decision overturned was rejected multiple times.

However, he persisted, and after an eight-year fight, the case reached the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest court in America. Over a thousand people showed up on the steps of the courthouse to show their support for Simon. People even spent the night outside to make sure they were there for the result.

In the end, every Justice—or judge—on the Supreme Court ruled in Simon’s favor, allowing him to trademark the name “The Slants”. Ruth Bader Ginsberg was one of the Justices who helped with the decision. She said: 

Dance rock band frontman Simon Tam sought to trademark The Slants. His aim was to reappropriate a term long used to disparage a minority group and to render the term a badge of pride. All of us agreed.

Simon’s victory was a milestone for his band and representation and free expression in the arts. But Simon Tam didn’t stop with that victory. He continued touring with The Slants until 2019. Then, he co-founded The Slants Foundation, an organization that uses the arts and activism to change the world. 

Simon’s work has been highlighted in 129 countries in media features from The New York Times, the Washington Post, Rolling Stone, National Public Radio (NPR), and more. He works with world leaders and big companies to encourage inclusivity, and he joined other celebrities  as part of an anti-bullying campaign with the President of the United States, Barack Obama. He’s helped other musicians legally protect free artistic expression. 

Today, Simon continues to work in numerous art forms, like storytelling, composing, theater, and more. And he’s only just beginning. May his life encourage us all to “Sing from the Heart!”