Is “The Slants” a Racist Name for an Asian American Band?

I interviewed Simon Young of The Slants yesterday (my first professional music writing ever) for the Voice’s Sound of the City blog. Young and I chatted about why Asian Americans can’t trademark a band called The Slants, yet black people can trademark N.W.A. and white people can trademark Cracker, Aunt Jemima, and the Redskins.