Michele Wong McSween wears her dork status with pride—so much so that she calls herself a “self-proclaimed dorkaholic.” In an interview with Dorkaholics, the author of the beloved Gordon & Li Li children’s book series opened up about her journey from trying to fit in as a child to becoming a passionate advocate for cultural identity and representation through storytelling.
“I grew up with three brothers and there was nothing I could do that was cool in their eyes,” McSween said. “Whether it was my sticker collection or wanting to be blonde-haired and blue-eyed like my friends, I always felt like a dork.”
That feeling didn’t stop in childhood. Now a mother of three teenage boys, McSween laughs about how they too see her as a dork—especially when it comes to her hobbies like stamp collecting. “I didn’t even realize I was a stamp collector until someone pointed it out,” she shared. “But I love buying the Chinese New Year stamps, artist series, sports, Harry Potter—everything.”
But behind the humor is a heartfelt story of rediscovery. Growing up in Sacramento, McSween didn’t speak Chinese and felt disconnected from her heritage. “All I wanted to do was assimilate,” she said. “Be like my friends. Don’t bring anything weird for lunch or I’d get made fun of.”
It wasn’t until she moved to New York City and began working in a creative, multicultural environment that her perspective began to shift. Surrounded by colleagues who embraced their cultural backgrounds with pride, McSween felt inspired to reconnect with her own roots. And when she had children, the importance of cultural preservation hit home.
“I realized I am their last link to our heritage,” she said. “If I don’t take this on, no one will.”
That realization gave birth to Gordon & Li Li, a series designed to make Mandarin fun and accessible for kids. The two panda characters are named after McSween’s parents—Gordon and Merrily—and serve as a love letter and, in McSween’s words, an “apology letter” to her family for the cultural distance she felt in her youth.
“I fully embrace my culture now,” she said. “And I hope these books can make up for how I behaved in my younger years.”
The latest installment in the series, Gordon & Li Li: All About Me, continues the mission of teaching Mandarin through everyday words and interactive activities. The next book is already in the works and will follow the pandas on an A-to-Z tour of New York City—Gordon’s hometown.
McSween hopes that her books can help other families bridge cultural gaps, especially in multiracial households. “Parents often tell me, ‘My kids are half Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian… and I’m trying so hard to hold on to our heritage,’” she said. “This is just my way of doing that.”
As AAPI Heritage Month approaches, McSween’s message is clear: it’s never too late to reconnect with your roots, and there’s power in proudly sharing who you are.
