Business Spotlight: Gordon & Li Li
Photo by Jeff Young
Gordon & Li Li
gordonandlili.com
Michele Wong McSween created Gordon & Li Li to introduce her three sons to Mandarin Chinese and provide them with a deeper appreciation for their culture and heritage.
What started as a passion project for her has become a valuable resource for families like here are inspired to bridge the gap within a multi-cultural world.
Give us a brief background on yourself and your business!
My name is Michele Wong McSween and I’m a former-fashion designer, mom, and author/creator of Gordon & Li Li. Growing up as a fourth generation Chinese-American, I didn’t have a deep connection to my culture and heritage, especially because I didn’t speak or understand the language. But moving to a diverse city like New York and having my own children sparked a desire to change that.
When I had my own children, I was determined to teach them about our culture -- early on -- so they’d feel proud of their Chinese heritage. I wanted them to connect with all the things that I grew to love about being Chinese: the food, the community, the customs, our values, and the language.
Rooting my kids’ identity through language became so important to me that taking Mandarin lessons wasn’t enough. I wanted to reinforce their learning at home through books. But when I searched for cute, engaging, early-learning Mandarin books to read with them at bedtime, I found nothing was available for non-speaking Chinese families like ours.
As a fourth generation Asian American, I feel responsible to represent my heritage and culture in the most authentic way. However, my upbringing as fourth generation results in a more fun, modern take on the look and feel of my products.
My passion for learning and introducing my sons to the Mandarin language inspired me to create Gordon & Li Li – a first Mandarin words bilingual book series that makes learning Chinese easy, approachable, and fun. It’s a loving tribute to my Chinese heritage that encourages others to learn about the Chinese culture, while learning Mandarin in a simple, fun, and easy way.
Over the past 14 years, the Gordon & Li Li book series has expanded into an iPad App, an activity book, a small capsule collection of merch, and most recently plushies! It’s been wonderful to see Gordon & Li Li become a friend to kids, parents and teachers as they discover the joy of mastering first words in a new language.
How did you start your business, and what inspired you?
I started my business 14 years ago by Googling everything I could find about creating and self-publishing a children’s book. The more I learned about writing a book and self-publishing the more overwhelmed and intimidated I became. But my passion and desire to create these books for my sons overruled my fears.
Creating the books was the easy part. As a former designer, I could envision a cute, colorful, and modern board book that was easy-to-read, engaging for all ages and, most importantly, be books we’d want to cuddle up with at bedtime. Therefore, every word, theme, and illustration for Gordon & Li Li was inspired by my kids. The first three books in my series celebrated their first words, their love for animals, and taught them that counting in Mandarin is fun!
Supporting Chinatown and being involved in the community is my way of ensuring that Chinatown will continue to be a cultural connection where people, for generations to come, can call home.
The hard part was promoting and marketing it. Since this was before Instagram, I couldn’t simply post a book launch announcement with an exciting giveaway, like I do now. I had to rely on the ‘good, old-fashioned way’ of sending emails and selling my book door-to-door. Putting myself out there, pitching my story, and waiting for the buyer to order a copy or two was humbling and grueling. Volunteering to do read-alouds in schools, bookstores, museums, kid’s stores, and play spaces became my favorite way to connect with G&L fans. These in-person events are still the ones that inspire me the most. I love it when people share their stories about how their children are learning and connecting with their heritage through my books. This is what makes all the hard work worth it and inspires me to keep moving forward!
How does your identity as an Asian American influence your work?
As a fourth generation Asian American, I feel responsible to represent my heritage and culture in the most authentic way. However, my upbringing as fourth generation results in a more fun, modern take on the look and feel of my products. It’s traditional Chinese culture with a modern twist that results in products that kids, parents, and grandparents around the world can relate to.
Why is it important for you as an AAPI to be involved in the Chinatown community?
Being involved in the Chinatown community is important to me because I want to give back to the community that has given me so much.
When I moved to New York in 1997, I explored all the neighborhoods in the city. But none of them made me feel as energetic, excited, comfortable, and at home as Chinatown did. Exploring the countless restaurants, mom and pop shops, grocery stores, and pastry shops filled my heart and soul. I became so connected to my heritage that people would joke that I was a born-again Chinese woman. Supporting Chinatown and being involved in the community is my way of ensuring that Chinatown will continue to be a cultural connection where people, for generations to come, can call home. And there’s no place like home!
What small business in Chinatown inspires you, and why?
The small business in Chinatown that inspires me the most is KK Discount. Despite a global pandemic and a two-alarm fire that forced them to close, they never gave up believing that they would be back in business. They showed up every day, sat in front of their store, and greeted people walking by. Their quiet actions sent a message -- loud and clear -- of hope, resilience, and survival. We can all learn a lot from a small business like KK Discount.
What’s your favorite item that you sell?
My favorite items are my board books. They will always remind me of my sons -- my inspirations -- for starting this journey and how we would snuggle together and read Gordon & Li Li over and over again. I’ll never forget the wonder in their eyes, when they realized the book they were holding and reading was something their mom made -- for them! Plus, the fact that my original books were passed down from my oldest son to my youngest son, is a testament to the fact that my books can stand the test of time and the toughness of three boys!
Photo by Jeff Young
What’s the best way to stay in touch and support your work?
The best way to stay in touch with me is by following my social media or subscribing to my mailing list. I’ll always post new books, products, events, and of course, the Chinese Word of the Day. The best way to support me is by coming to my events, spreading the Gordon & Li Li love by sharing photos, asking your school or local library to carry my books, and of course shopping at gordonandlili.com!
If you’d like to support Michele and Gordon & LiLi, visit their website. And check out Michele’s recent interview on CBS!
