One of my fav reviews so far 💛
I have absolutely no reason to need to read your work - except I think you are so, SO smart that I don’t want to miss what you have to say. I read - and love - every word! Please, please don’t stop publishing The Pollinatr. - Barbie
Mahjong
About 5 years ago I noticed Mahjong taking off in Dallas. All the girlies were posting about Mahj game nights, fundraisers and cute gear. Fast forward to a yearish ago and it started blowing up in Raleigh. Let’s be clear, Mahjong is NOT a new game (more on that in a second) but I find it interesting when trends course through culture like this so I wanted to learn more.
As you can see in just the past two years, the searches on Pinterest has increased by 4x.
As I started researching this topic, there was a LOT more to it than just a few year resurgence. This game has major cultural significance and heritage that we cannot ignore.
A note before we dive in. I’m sending this late because I realized there was a lot more to unpack and I needed to do more research. I also considered not even publishing this, but I think it’s important to create conversations around complicated topics like this versus shying away, in hopes that it helps people (including myself) have a broader worldview. It is very important to me personally and professionally to consider the cultural sensitivities around aligning with a trend, especially when there has been a history of cultural appropriation. I did my best to surface different perspectives and spoke with multiple Asian American friends about this topic. Please shoot me a note if you feel I misrepresented this topic in any way, or if you’d like to provide any feedback. I’m all ears!
Students, we’re going to have a little history lesson:
Most people say the game originated in China in the 1800s. Mahjong in Chinese (麻雀, mā què) means sparrow because of the sound the tiles make with they click clack together; it sounds like birds chirping and singing
It was a beloved past time for Chinese people. The Chinese government banned it because of it’s association to gambling. The ban was lifted in the 1980s.
Joseph P. Babcock, an American oil businessman who lived in China for work played with his wife and got hooked. They started importing sets to America and created the American version of the game, naming it “Mah-Jongg”.
In the 1920s, Jewish women in NYC started playing and it became an integral part of their community. Read more about the Jewish history of Mahjong here.
In 1937, the National Mah Jongg League was started in order to standardize the game so that everyone would play the same hands and rules.
In 2020, a company in Dallas was cancelled for cultural appropriation and whitewashing by releasing tiles that removed the Chinese characters.
As of 2025, there are 350k members of the National Mah Jongg League
If you want to dive deeper into the history, this is great article: What the Surprising History of Mah-jongg Can Teach Us About America, which pulls fromn the book Annelise Heinz wrote, Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture.
Who is playing this game in America?
The game is often associated with older women who are empty nesters or in retirement homes. However, Covid sparked a new wave of adoption. Millennial women (many who are stay at home moms) are starting to trade tiles.
Why do people like it so much?!
It's golf for girls! A reader in Houston shared that, “It’s a chance to get out of the house for hours and hang with friends and spend too much money on overpriced accessories. I personally play with a lot of my neighbors who I like usually wouldn't invite over but when it's Mahj it's a low effort social event. It's def the gear that I feel like has made it a ‘thing’. Everyone asks for tiles for Xmas and wants like new mats, a cuter set.”
It’s an alternative, offline social activity: “It's something different than it being a wine night and more social than playing tennis.” Another reader says, “It helps to have activities that are not always based around food and the weather doesn’t have to be good to play!” The NYT profiles the “extremely offline joy” that board games bring. Groups like Green Tile Social Club in NYC organize events as a way to bring people together in a big, often lonely city. Friends of mine like Averi have started to teach classes to friends as a way to get her town of Morehead City more connected (sign up here if you’re a local!).
It’s dynamic: Both in how you play the game and how the game gets updated. just like how Fortnite launches a new Chapter every year, The National Mah Jongg league launches a new card every year in America, which changes the gameplay entirely and keeps it fresh. It also gives a moment for everyone to look forward to - people start playing the new card on April 1st!
It’s an outlet for moms: There’s something about this game that deeply relates to moms across generations and backgrounds. Because it’s a smart activity that is very strategic, it’s a way stay at home moms stretch their brains when it feels like they are (sometimes) being melted otherwise 😅. The way the game is played allows for catching up in between hands and it’s also a game that fits into a weird schedule. Moms meet up for quick stints or longer settings when they have random pockets of free time before school drop off or in between activities. It’s a recurring excuse to get together when it’s easy to let social commitments fall by the wayside. This game is all about creating order out of chaos, and if that isn’t a relatable way to describe being a mom, idk what is.
It helps you stay sharp: From a reader in her 50s, “It’s a great way to keep my older brain thinking!! It is not super easy - you’re having to think about your hand, others hands and possible back-up options. It works great on a patio table. Our club even has a floating Mahjong board so you can play in the pool! 🤣”
It’s a vibe: Brands like Oh My Mahjong have cropped up selling their Mahjong sets, mats, and decorations at places like Anthropologie and Tuckernuck. The colorful, Palm Beach meets Gran-Millennial designs make them hard to resist. I wonder if strategy games like Settlers of Catan or Go were cuter more of this audience would play them…
Oh My Mahjong
Before we get to the part about how marketers can jump in, I wanted to share some smart advice from my Chinese American coworker and friend, Em.
She shared that she is happy to see it becoming popular but that she is against the tile sets that white people have manufactured like the ones I mentioned above that erase the Chinese culture from them. Her advice:
“As long as people pay their respects to the culture in some way, I'm fine with it”
The first thing I look for is some kind of reference to China or Chinese culture
The second thing I look for if it's a for-profit business is whether there is any kind of charitable or inclusive aim
If you are a business, ask yourself, ‘how are you contributing to the culture?’. If you're a casual enjoyer, it doesn't matter as much, it's more like maybe you should know a little about the origins and that's it, but if you're making money off of it, it feels to me like you owe more.”
Ways brands have activated:
Lots of upscale sets have been released like Swarovski, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes. In case of the Hermes set, the tiles were made with a material that didn’t make the classic clattering noise so people did not like them.
Maybelline launched a set for Chinese New Year in 2019 for the launch of their new "Red on Fire" lipstick.
Diageo launched a Johnnie Walker Mahjong set in Hong Kong also for Chinese New Year.
Ways brands can jump in: Taking into account ALL of the above, I think there could be some interesting ways for brands to align with people who are mad for Mahjong.
For brands with Millennial women audiences: What if kids activity places had an area with Mahjong set up for moms or golf brands like Johnnie O. shot their women’s Athleisure line showing women going from school drop off to playing Mahjong.
For brands with Gen X women audiences: Menopause brands like Womaness could throw a Mahj x Meno night, inviting Asian American Mahj experts and influencers to play with each other and sample new products.
For food brands with Asian roots like Fly By Jing, they could release recipes for authentic Chinese snacks that usually accompany a game of Mahjong using their ingredients. I would personally love this!
For organizations fundraising, you could sponsor Mahjong competitions where some proceeds fund research for causes related to the brain like Alzheimer’s.
For places with communal spaces: Late night at the library or coffee shops - open up at night time when the space isn’t being used otherwise for drop-in games!
Dinner Party Fodder
Tasty tidbits to talk about 😋
🔖 Article of the week - The symbolism of Crazy Rich Asians’ pivotal mahjong scene, explained. This was an awesome explanation about how the scene is a commentary on so much more than just their relationship.
📪 Newsletter of the week - If you’re not familiar, Lenny Rachitsky writes an amazing newsletter about building products. He just hit 1M subs and wrote an awesome breakdown about how he did it.
💎 Hidden gem of the week - I went to Leakey, TX (pronounced Lake-y) for my cousin’s wedding and this place is gorgeous. Rope swings into the water, fishing, and margaritas - what more could you want?
💇🏼♂️ Haircut of the week: If you’ve been noticing the almost-mullet haircut high school guys are donning, it’s called a mini mullet. The low taper fade aka broccoli cut is also apparently v cool.
▶️ Video of the week: SNL skit CouplaBeers, aka a medication that helps when life hits a low point, has been lighting up dude group chats. Thanks brother. 😂
🔥 Hot take of the week: Substack Notes is the new LinkedIn.
😋 Recipe of the week: I make this honey garlic butter salmon from Khin’s Kitchen (she is from Burma) nearly every Sunday. Roast some broccoli, blister some shishito peppers and voila! An easy, healthy, delicious meal.
🎧 Song of the week - My husband turned me on to Zach Bryan and I’ve been loving him lately, esp this song Pink Skies. Fav line: “And plenty nights under pink skies you taught 'em to enjoy”. I hope that is something my son learns from me. 💗
I hope everyone has a wonderful week!
🐝 Michelle
I'm feeling inspired to learn. My mom has been playing Mahjong with her friends for years! I want to say decades! I only know one person who plays that is younger than 60 and he is the son of one of the ladies and is their alternate!
Always learn so much from you