Wen Huang first came to my attention in the early days of Eight Forty-Eight. Wen moved from China to Illinois in 1990, and executive producer Tish Valva brought Wen in to do commentaries. His short-form work centered on his immigrant experience, but he was able to take that experience and apply it to what was relevant for the times.

Now, years later, Huang is somewhat of a superstar. His new memoir, The Little Red Guard, explores his complicated relationship with his immigrant roots.

In the book, Huang writes about his upbringing in Xi’an, China. His story is less about his journey to Illinois and more about his struggle with a cultural journey that bridged an old and new China.

Wen Huang is back in WBEZ’s studios Tuesday to talk at length with Worldview host Jerome McDonnell.