JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div class="aside-navigation">
  <ul>
    <li class="">
      <i>text</i>
    </li>
    <li class="nav-active">
      <i>text 2</i>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div>

CSS

.nav-active i:hover { color: pink; }

JavaScript

$(document).ready(function(){
    if($(".aside-navigation > ul li").hasClass("nav-active") ) {
        $('.nav-active i').trigger('mouseenter');
    }
});