Born in Indiana to Chinese parents, Michelle Li credits her parents for showing her love through acts of service as well as keeping an open mind and learning something from every experience she makes. Among the many lessons the Teen Vogue fashion and beauty editor learned growing up is a strong work ethic. Li is proud to be Chinese and a part of the Asian community. We caught up with Michelle Li this month to find out what Asian American Pacific Heritage Month means to her and how her heritage has influenced the person she is today.

Michelle, tell us more about yourself.

I’m a fashion editor and stylist here in New York City. I grew up in Carmel, Indiana with my mom, dad, and older brother. My parents are both Chinese, from Beijing and Shanghai. They immigrated to America to go to school at Indiana University (my mom got her math Ph.D here!). We grew up in a predominantly white town and moved to Carmel, a town with a lot more Asians, at the end of middle school.

In what ways do you stay true to your heritage?

I try to cook Chinese food and when that fails (which it usually does), I eat at family-owned restaurants in Chinatown that have dishes that remind me of home. I find myself ordering the dishes that my parents used to order for us and being a little bit afraid to try new ones. I value red a lot as a lucky color and find myself wearing my jade necklace when I’m needing some extra protection from the world. I’ll never go to someone’s home without some kind of gift whether it be flowers or food! I find so much comfort in Chinese blankets that are made from terry cloth. Oh, and I always removed my shoes before entering a household!

Are there any specific past instances tied to your heritage that have influenced you today?

We played a lot of tennis growing up. It was a good outlet for my parents to teach us lessons about discipline, how hard work pays off, and how it’s important to follow through with your goals. Learning about how my parents studied really hard so that they could come to America and work their way up to create a life they wanted has always inspired me to create a life that they would be proud of. I want them to feel like it was worth it for them to leave their home and come to America. It’s a privilege that I want to make the most of and don’t want to take for granted.

Does your family have any traditions that are especially important to you?

We don’t have a lot of family traditions, but there are things that we do (or used to do) that I think very fondly of and consider traditions in our family – like how our large family gatherings at Chinese restaurants usually end with the waiters rolling in karaoke machines (my dad does a great version of Can You Feel The Love Tonight by Elton John). I also try, work permitting, to go to LA, where my parents now live, for my birthday every year. We’ll take a nice drive to the Sierra Mountains and do a long day hike and it’s something I always look forward to. They’re not exactly Chinese-specific traditions, but when I think of my family and how we take care of each other, I think of these moments.

How has your heritage shaped the person you are today?

I’m really proud to be Chinese and love being a part of the Asian community. My heritage has helped me learn to love myself and embrace being different. I’ve also developed a strong work ethic that values hard work and doing what you say you’re going to do. Goals are meant to be achieved and sometimes a little tough love goes a long way. My parents show me love through acts of service and making sacrifices and that’s the kind of love I value above all else as well.

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I noticed you’re pretty much a jack of all trades in terms of handling creative direction, styling, and feature writing as well. Can you tell me more about how you got into all this and how you developed a niche for yourself in the industry?

I definitely have dipped my toes in a lot of things! I got into all of this just by keeping an open mind and saying yes to everything. In college, my dad gave me some great advice (he always does! Hi Dad) about how I can learn something from everyone and every experience, even the bad, awful ones. It really helped me navigate the fashion industry as an intern and in junior positions. I said yes to a lot of internships and not all of them were exactly what I wanted to do. But in the end it all became a part of my story and it’s enabled me to be a better fashion editor.

What does “Togetherness” mean to you?

It means supporting each other whenever you have the opportunity to. And proactively finding opportunities to support each other.

What does Asian American Pacific Heritage Month mean to you?

To me, it means taking the time to stop and appreciate what strides have been made and what still needs to happen in the world and internally with yourself. It’s a month to celebrate for sure, but also reflect and take a log of what’s happened in the past year. I think a lot about how I love being Chinese and find myself thinking it a lot more during this month when I’m seeing all of the amazing creative content that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are pushing out. Asian cultures are so heterogeneous. It’s a great time to educate yourself on Asian cultures that aren’t as top of mind in America.

Do you think the fashion industry is changing in regards to inclusivity? Where do you think we can do better? The fashion industry is changing to be more inclusive, but I definitely see a lot of problematic language and comments that still make me uncomfortable. I feel it among my peers and definitely felt it coming up in the industry. They’re never big enough to warrant me saying something, but they’re micro-aggressions that remind you that you’re not one of them. It’s the little stuff that shows how deeply ingrained the bias is.