The Mission Peak Adventurer

Jusleen, a happy-go-lucky “everybody’s friend,” meets her match in the aloof and reticent Michael. An excursion to the popular hiking trail at Mission Peak becomes the pretext for discussing the controversial Pan-Asian question: Does Taiwanese cultural identity assume a Chinese label in America?

Told from both characters’ points of view, The Mission Peak Adventurer presents the legacy of Taiwanese culture in America, and the second generation’s choice to either wear or discard its accessories. Set in the globalized microcosm of California’s East Bay, Jusleen and Michael have opposing views of their shared culture. When their personal views collide, a budding friendship is tested in the light of their differences.