Asian-American performers were few and far between when Dr. Oliver Wang was growing up in the 1970s and '80s. Looking back, Dr. Wang, an assistant professor in sociology at California State University-Long Beach, says the lack of artists may have been the result of a lack of role models, since Asian immigrants did not begin to arrive in the United States in large numbers until after immigration laws eased in the mid-1960s. Observers say Asian-Americans have tended to gravitate towards classical music and visual arts instead of verbal art forms like acting and singing. That is not a surprise, given that many traditional Asian cultures are reproachful of speaking out, says Dr. Peter Kiang, director of Asian-American studies at the University of Massachusetts-Boston. All this is changing fast though, and Black cultural expression is one of the many influences fueling Asian American artistry. This article takes a look at three notable Asian-American artists. They are: (1) IBU, the Asian-American rhythm-and-blues band, formed in the Chicago area in 2001, that has captured the attention of college-age audiences and the recording industry; (2) spoken word poet Bao Phi, a native of Vietnam who has drawn much material from growing up alongside Blacks and American Indians in one of Minneapolis's poorest neighborhoods; and (3) Nobuko Miyamoto whose career has gone from Broadway to Hollywood to community activism and on to socially conscious performance art.