Mahjong Gains Popularity Across US Communities

Mahjong is gaining momentum across the United States, with players gathering in libraries, parks, bars and clubs, while beginner lessons and open-play groups welcome people with varied experience. Local examples include a Cedar Mill library group that grew from 26 players at its first monthly session to 37 at a recent one, and a university society offering guided lessons and ongoing play. The game is also being reshaped for American audiences: American mahjong uses standardized winning combinations that differ from the more varied regional forms played in China, and a Wichita entrepreneur is developing locally made sets with American-themed designs. Historians note that mahjong’s earlier rise in the United States involved marketing that exoticized Chinese culture, even as the game became a social pastime and was adapted by American players. Today’s renewed interest is creating new ways for people to learn, socialize and build community around the game.