Mia Wenjen on We Sing From the Heart: How The Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court

In this post, we feature author Mia Wenjen, whose previous titles include Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms around the World, a Junior Library Guild selection. You can hear her speak about her new picture book, We Sing From the Heart: How The Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court, illustrated by Victor Bizar Gómez. You can also try her “invitation to imagine” activity and find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Mia Wenjen and the cover of We Sing from the Heart.

We Sing From the Heart: How The Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court

Written by Mia Wenjen and illustrated by Victor Bizar Gómez
Published by Red Comet Press
Release date: October 15, 2024

As a young boy, both in school and working in his family’s Chinese restaurant, Simon Tam faced racist taunts and verbal bullying. Words were used as weapons. And from a young age, Simon understood how powerful they could be. When Simon decided to trademark the name of his band, The Slants®, he was denied. But it wasn’t the fact that he was denied that angered him, it was the reason why—because they deemed the name was racist. Words mattered, and he was reclaiming what was used against him all those years before. What followed was an up and down, eight year landmark battle that would take him all the way to the Supreme Court. His fight helped to expose structural anti-Asian racism in our government systems. It was a fight for free speech that was worth fighting for.

An interior spread from We Sing from the Heart, showing Simon Tam standing in a suit in front of the Supreme Court Building.

An interior spread from We Sing from the Heart, showing Simon Tam with a guitar playing for an audience, a drummer in the background. Below Simon, are the words, "We're never gonna settle."

Explore We Sing From the Heart: How The Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court

Listen to Mia Wenjen talking with TeachingBooks about creating We Sing From the Heart: How The Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.

Invitation to Imagine

TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activity contributed by Mia Wenjen.

Imagination Activity with Mia Wenjen

Create (draw, paint, collage, etc.) an album cover starring an activist. This person does not have to be a musician. What kind of music would this person make? Can you create an album cover that conveys this?

Finish This Sentence . . . with Mia Wenjen

As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Mia Wenjen’s response.

“A surprising thing that helps me work is…”

A surprising thing that helps me work is knitting. During the Covid lockdown, I found myself unable to write picture books. I had trouble sitting still and concentrating but when I taught myself to knit a very simple beanie hat, the act of knitting helped me find my writing mojo again. Being active with my hands but allowing my mind to wander provided something that my creative writing brain needed.

“While working on this latest project, I was surprised to learn that…”

While working on this latest project, I was surprised to discover or learn that some fellow Asian American children’s book authors (younger than me) are HUGE Slants® fans!

“You may not know that I can…”

You may not know that I can box. I have been training with a former Olympic boxing trainer, Marc Gargaro of Nonantum Boxing Club, for the past 12 years. Yes, I do spar on occasion but I also hate being clocked on the head, so I am not in the ring that often. I usually train three times a week and especially love mitts training with Marc. I can box both orthodox and southpaw.

“An eyebrow-raising subject I had to research for a book is…”

An eyebrow-raising subject I had to research for a book is the number of Asian American divers who had to practice diving into a pit of gravel because they were not allowed to use the public pool except for once a month—the day before the pool was drained and refilled. Both divers that I researched went on to win Olympic gold medals and were also the first Asian Americans to win in their sport.

“I hope that my latest book will encourage readers to think about…”

Asian American role models are simple people who are willing to stand up for what they believe in. We don’t have enough Asian American male role models, so I hope readers will discover Simon Tam in my book and be inspired by him.

“Where I work is…”

Mia Wenjen's office, showing her desk, bookshelves filled with books, and a rounded wall of windows with a padded bench.

Mia Wenjen's office, filled with books and a rounded wall of windows with a padded bench.

Thank you!

To wrap up this Virtual Book Tour, we thank Mia Wenjen for signing a book for all of us.

The ttile page of We Sing from the Heart, signed by the author, Mia Wenjen, with the message, "Fight for justice!"

More Connections to Mia Wenjen and We Sing From the Heart: How The Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court

Explore all of the titles featured in the TeachingBooks Virtual Book Tour: one link with author interviews, lesson plans, activities, and more!

All text and images are courtesy of Mia Wenjen, Victor Bizar Gómez. and Red Comet Press and may not be used without expressed written consent.