JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<ul>
    <li>one
        <ul>
            <li>one one</li>
            <li>one two</li>
        </ul>
    </li>
</ul>

JavaScript

var result = $('li').map(function () {
    var $clone = $(this).clone();
    $clone.children('*').remove();
    return $.trim($clone.text());
}).get();

alert(result[0]);