Mahjong is having a moment. What that says about how we connect

Episode 42: Mahjong Transcript

Mahjong player: We're playing Filipino style and every player has 16 tiles.

Mahjong player: Five sets of three and one pair is what you're supposed to get.

Julia Dixon Evans: On a recent Friday night, producer Anthony and I joined a rowdy group of friends — some old, some new. We were learning an old game, one that's recently experienced a return to the mainstream.

Mahjong player: And then when the last tile to get mahjong comes out, you yell, Mahjong! Mahjong.

Evans: Mahjong is a tabletop game played with small tiles that look and feel a bit like dominoes. The game developed in China in the 1800s and by the 1920s,it had become a sensation in the United States. For years, mahjong was associated with immigrant communities and grandparents, and now the game is seeing a resurgence. Young people are flocking to tile clubs like this one, and it's all over social media.

Social media clip: Why is everyone you know obsessed with mahjong?

Social media clip: Alright first and foremost, you should know that this is no longer just your grandma's game.

Social media clip: How to host a mahjong night that people actually wanna go to.

Social media clip: This is hands down the prettiest game I own. I just can't stop staring at it.

Evans: All throughout its history, mahjong has been a powerful source of community and connection. But today, with its popularity creeping into the mainstream, new conversations are emerging about the game's origins, commercialization and the line between cultural appropriation and appreciation. But at this mahjong night, most people were just focused on the tiles in front of them. Even winning didn't seem to matter that much.

Mahjong player: This is called No Ambition Tile Club for a reason, right? It's like there is no ambition here. Just to have fun on a Friday evening.

Mahjong player: Yeah.

Evans: Thousands of people are embracing mahjong for its mix of strategy, socializing and culture. It offers two things people seem especially hungry for at the moment: analog fun and a place to make friends. We'll take you along on our night learning the game, meeting new people and trying for our first ever mahjongs. We'll also explore mahjong's often misunderstood history, and look at some of the internet trends surrounding its resurgence, including granny hobbies and, quote, Chinamaxxing.

James Gutierrez: If we can, even in our own little tile lab, be able to help put a little bit more context to it, then that's a win. And so it's been great, like, to see people from different walks of life, both Asian and non-Asian alike, coming together and then kinda seeing that diversity come together in the space.

Evans: From KPBS Public Media, this is The Finest, a podcast about the people, art and movements redefining culture in San Diego. I'm Julia Dixon Evans.

[Theme Music]

Evans: No Ambition Tile Club was started by two San Diegans with a deep connection to the game and a knack for bringing people together.

Gutierrez: My name is James Gutierrez. I'm one of the co-founders for the No Ambition Tile Club.

Evans: Do you remember the first time you played mahjong?

Gutierrez: The first time I remember playing was actually with my Lola, which is grandmother in Tagalog, and she was showing me a bit of the game when I was second or third grade. For Filipinos, 'cause I'm Filipino, in general, that was such an integral part of, like, what a house party would be, right? So it had to be food and it had to be mahjong and maybe once the drinks went around long enough, then we'd get into karaoke, right? We knew when the mahjong came out, we're gonna be together all night.

Evans: For years, mahjong was mostly a childhood memory for James. It reminded him of his grandma and aunts laughing late into the night while he fell asleep on the floor nearby. He never actually fully learned how to play the game. As an adult, he and his wife dusted off a set of tiles and figured it out. But mahjong traditionally needs four players, so the next step was obvious: bring more people in. So they started inviting friends over to play. At the time, the game still felt pretty niche. There weren't many people his age playing, but in the past few years, that all changed.

Gutierrez: About a year ago, my friend Sabrina, we were doing events together to reach the community, that were API and AAPI based, and just used to joke about, like, We should totally do a mahjong club. And I didn't know that that was really a thing, at least for our generation. And Sabrina very quickly was like, Oh no, there's all kinds of clubs that are happening in L.A. and New York, but San Diego seems to be lacking. And so we would say, Well, we just have to start it.

Evans: Since then, the No Ambition Tile Club has become a hit. They provide the tables, tiles and instructors.

Gutierrez: We started with six tables. We've now grown to an average of 10 to 12 tables a game, and we generally sell out, which has been great. We have people that have come to every single game, and I think it's something that people also, just having this sense of belonging, and like, I think they love, like, being able to do that.

Evans: Why do you think it is becoming so popular? Why are, like, younger people are really attaching themselves to this game?

Gutierrez: I would say since the pandemic, there's been a lot of kind of a recapturing of our cultural roots. We've been seeing a lot of Chinese American and Filipino Americans in my generation and generations past me playing the game as almost this, like, re-grasping of their culture.

Evans: Before we tried the game ourselves, we wanted to understand what was behind mahjong's recent boom and more about its history dating back long before it. So we called Nicole Wong.

Nicole Wong: I am the founder and creator of The Mahjong Project and I'm the author of a book that came out last year called “Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora.”

Evans: Nicole is American, but her parents are originally from New Zealand, where they were a part of the large Chinese diaspora there. Her grandparents stayed in New Zealand, and in college she went to visit them, and that's when she learned mahjong.

Wong: So my grandparents' regular routine was that they worked six days a week in a green grocer store, and so on their day off, they would invite friends over, they would play a round, they would have dinner and then play another round, and it was their social glue. It was their way to catch up and gossip and share news.

Evans: Years later, back in the U.S., she realized there was still so much she didn't know about the game.

Wong: I was invited to a mahjong game with some friends who were all Asian American, and we got together and sat down to play and we all had really different understandings of the rules. Yeah, all of a sudden I was aware that the way that my family plays was somehow different, and I wanted to, like, look into that a little bit more.

Evans: That set Nicole on a mission to document the way her Chinese New Zealander family plays and to understand the game's history. And that was not an easy task.

Wong: There was a lot of information online that, frankly, was just conflicting or not true. If you Googled: What is the history of mahjong?, it would say that it was an ancient game, that it was from, you know, played in the Imperial courts of China, and that's actually not true. That was actually very intentional marketing that was put forth by companies in the 1920s who were trying to make the game seem exotic and kind of this, like, Oriental appeal that was very in vogue in the 1920s.

Evans: In reality, mahjong developed in China in the 19th century, not exactly ancient. But it caught on fast and spread across Asia. And with the spread, variations emerged and immigrants brought the game all over the world.

Wong: I met some people here in San Francisco who are fourth-generation Chinese American, and the way that we play mahjong is exactly the same, like, the way that we score points. And that was so incredible because I had felt like this was such a specific, weird way that Chinese people in New Zealand must have retained, you know, this old form of mahjong. But in fact, because those immigration patterns are similar in terms of when families left China and when like how families choose to retain culture and tradition in the diaspora, it felt incredibly powerful to connect with people who I'm, you know, strangers basically by the way that we play mahjong.

Evans: Among others, there's Hong Kong style, Szechuan, Japanese and Filipino style, which is what we learned. And there's even an American variation, which developed after mahjong had its first wave in the U.S. in the 1920s. That version became especially popular among Jewish communities across the U.S. For both Nicole and James, their formative mahjong memories were with their grandparents, but the mahjong games we're seeing today have much younger players at the table.

Wong: We're talking about young people, like Gen Z people. There are a lot of casual mahjong nights popping up all over the city in restaurants and nightclubs and bars. There's just so many places right now that I think are feeling like mahjong is a really great way to bring the community out.

Evans: It may seem unexpected that young people are interested in a game associated with grandmothers, but grandma activities are actually having a real moment right now. Instagram is full of people talking about their granny era. People are knitting, baking, gardening and playing mahjong. These activities are screen-free and tactile, an antidote to the exhausting digital world. And maybe the simplicity and creative nature of these hobbies has always struck a chord when we're at a certain age as young adults, regardless of trends. Nicole says she sees it as a natural process of generational maturing.

Wong: The idea of, like, granny activities is, with mahjong too, is that, you know, like our grandparents started doing these activities probably around the time that we are starting to do these activities. Do you know what I'm saying?

Evans: Right.

Wong: My grandparents were playing mahjong in their 30s and 40s, and so I think it's also this, like, relational idea of like, oh, we think of it as a, quote, old person activity, but guess what? They were also young at one point, and they also liked doing things. And they also liked playing tennis and racket sports and, you know, whatever else we would associate in that genre. So what I like with the idea of, like, granny hobbies is this... It does have this sense of reverence towards our elders. It has this idea of like, oh, our grandparents were onto something.

Evans: On social media, mahjong is also associated with Chinamaxxing, a buzzword for people immersing themselves in Chinese culture and medicine, posed as an alternative to an America they've lost faith in, drawing inspiration from an alternative superpower. Anything from doing tai chi to drinking hot water in the morning. And it's not the first time that Chinese culture has become a fad in the U.S.

Wong: In the 1920s, the game was really a way to... It was kind of part and parcel to, of, like, pretending that you are Chinese and, like, playing this Chinese game and dressing up as if you're a Chinese person. Like, things that read as early 1920s. I always like to point out, too, you know, in these conversations that in that early era, this is when the Chinese Exclusion Act was in place, and so the active discrimination against Chinese people moving to the United States was the reality for many people. And so kind of that idea that Chinese culture could be something to consume or to partake in, but that not to connect that to, like, Chinese people in your community was very present, like that separation. I think today that can look, that looks quite different. I'd say that the Americanized version of the game leans further away from the Chinese presenting aspects of it.

Evans: In recent years, there have been modernized luxury mahjong sets costing hundreds of dollars that strip away traditional Chinese imagery.

Wong:The Chineseness of the game has kind of been scrubbed in some situations, in some presentations of the game. It's more like the erasure of the Chinese culture or connection to the game, is what feels bad, right?

Evans: As for Chinamaxxing, that's something Nicole has seen online, but never at an actual mahjong gathering.

Wong: The events that I go to tend to be very joyful, very, like, full of people who are curious and open to learning and wanting to, you know, just like partake in a social activity with respect and context. You can't, you can't know people's motivations for like playing mahjong unless they are saying, I am doing this because I'm Chinamaxxing and want to be Chinese, right? So I have not met anybody who said that to me, to my face. Like you could probably make an argument that that's some form of like new Orientalism, like this draw towards like foreignness. But again, I don't want that to undercut or oversell the idea that it's also just Asian Americans who are excited to feel more connected to their own culture and their friends and their communities.

Evans: Social media aside, the big appeal of mahjong remains the game itself, and playing it with others. The rules vary a little and mahjong nights at bars are a modern and fresh spin. But at its core, the games today are still a lot like those played by Nicole's grandparents in New Zealand or James's family in San Diego. It's simply something to do with other people.

Wong: I think that people have talked about post pandemic how, how everyone is sort of relearning how to socialize again. And so something like mahjong has a really nice scaffolding to a social gathering where there's an activity that you're playing. You're not just standing in a bar drinking, trying to talk to strangers. But then I think the game itself is just fun.

Evans: Coming up, we learn Filipino style mahjong and find out just how fun the game can be. Stay with us.

[Music]

Evans: No Ambition Tile Club holds a few meetups a month at different restaurants and venues around town, so producer Anthony and I decide to check one out ourselves. On a Friday evening, we head to Moniker General, a bar and coffee shop in Liberty Station. When we arrive, there are about a dozen folding tables set up, a DJ blasting music and excited guests starting to pour in.

Mahjong player: Yeah, I think this is kind of like a perfect way to kick off the weekend. This is gonna be fun.

Evans: Some people show up with a friend or two, others solo. Some are mahjong pros, but a lot have no experience at all — like us.

Wallace: Yeah. Have you ever played?

Mahjong night attendee: No, I haven't.

Wallace: OK, so you'll be learning.

Mahjong night attendee: Yes

Wallace: Had you heard of mahjong?

Mahjong night attendee: Yes, my family plays.

Wallace: Oh, OK.

Mahjong night attendee: Yeah.

Wallace: But you never, you never played with them?

Mahjong night attendee: No, no. I'm always on the sideline. Yeah, not today.

Evans: James said this is actually the case for a lot of people that come to mahjong night. They grew up around the game, but never really learned. It was just something the grownups did. James welcomes them and everyone else. Wearing an embroidered “Lola's Favorite” hat, he buzzes around the room greeting people and finding the perfect spot for every newcomer. They have an inclusive vibe. That's where the name No Ambition Tile Club comes from.

Gutierrez: In the Filipino game, we have things that are called “ambisyons,” essentially ambitious hands to win that would, in the gambling game, would actually win you extra money. And so we decided to call it the No Ambition Tile Club because we wanted our tile club to be a space for people to come that are beginners, that never had played the game, maybe exposed to it, but never being invited to the table. And then I always say three games makes you an expert, and after that it's just reps. Just keep playing and have fun the whole night.

Evans: James welcomed us, too. He put Anthony and I at separate tables with people we'd never met before.

Francesca: Yes. I'm Francesca.

John: I'm John.

Wallace: So have either of you played mahjong before?

Francesca: No.

John: Little bit.

Ellie: Ellie. I've been playing two months.

Mahjong player: Have had so much fun with it that I have nagged a ton of different friends to come play.

Mahjong friend: I am one of those friends.

Evans: At both our tables, we started with a basic tutorial.

Gutierrez: Gameplay starts with taking a tile to begin your turn and then it ends your turn by discarding one.

Evans: Ultimately, you try to build hands, and this varies version to version. You can match or get combinations, basically three in a row. A “mahjong” is a winning hand. In the Filipino version, it's five sets of three and a pair. I'm happy to report that we both got mahjongs. Anthony and I sat down to debrief afterwards.

Wallace: I remember you texted me…

Evans: In the middle…

Wallace: … I won, and James hadn't finished teaching us. I was like, what? So how did it feel to win?

Evans: Oh, it felt great. I mean, the first one maybe not so much because I was like, wait, what? Like, it was, it just, like, came out of nowhere.

Wallace: But the second one.

Evans: The second one felt great.

Mahjong player: Now you say mahjong.

Mahjong players: Mahjong!

Evans: Oh, wait, I just won twice?

Mahjong player: You just won, yes. Congratulations!

Evans: Unbelievable. Did you hear that microphone?

Like, you get it really quickly. I don't think this is, like, me being good at mahjong. I think it's just, like, a game that once you are taught the setup and the basics I think it's really easy to keep in a rhythm of playing.

Wallace: Yeah, I feel like the game is good because it does involve, like, real decisions. It kinda like hits a sweet spot in games where it's not just like…

Evans: … of luck and strategy.

Wallace: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Evans: Yes.

Wallace: Yeah, the dealing is, like, the most complicated part.

Evans: Yeah, it was like a little dance.

Gutierrez: Order of people is always counterclockwise. Dealing of tiles is always clockwise. I believe it's for the sense of feng shui and balance.

Wallace: My group was, like, really interested in all the little cultural tidbits that go with it that James would explain. We were lucky that we had James as our teacher.

Evans: So did your table spend a lot of time, like, everybody shuffling the tiles in the middle?

Wallace: Yeah, that was fun.

Evans: Between hands?

Wallace: Yeah. It sounded good, too. I got the mic right up on that.

Evans: Me too.

Wallace: Yeah.

Evans: Cue tile noises right now.

[Mahjong tiles shuffling]

Wallace: Well, and James told us mahjong is called the game of clattering sparrows…

Evans: Oh, that's beautiful.

Wallace: … because of that sound.

Mahjong player: Like sitting next to a waterfall or something. It's kind of similar.

Wallace: It's a great way to meet people ‘c ause you have like, it would be awkward if you just sat at a table with like three people you didn't know and they're just like, alright, talk.

Evans: Well, my table, two of them had met, and like they intentionally sit together every time. And then the other, they just met, like, this session. Then they were exchanging phone numbers. They were inviting each other to bridge nights, too. It's funny, like one grandma hobby breeds another grandma hobby.

Wallace: Different domino games.

Evans: Yeah.

Mahjong player: I think grandmas are awesome.

Evans: Have you thought of your hobby as grandma?

Mahjong player: I already am. Like, I went to go get my smog check in the DMV in the courthouse today 'cause I had the day off. I just brought my crossstitch with me. So I was just like waiting in the DMV, like with my threads.

Wallace: It's rare to, like, find an activity that you can actually make friends with people. Like strangers, like in one night.

Evans: And like, even if you don't make friends with them, like there's something really special about having that like encapsulated, insular social experience.

Wallace: Yeah, sharing like an experience with them. It kinda bonds you quickly. And it's just not awkward. Like, you can always just talk about the game.

Evans: Yep, exactly. Right. Or like other sessions of the club you went to. I do think that that is really nice, too.

Wallace: It's a perfect third space activity.

Evans: Five stars.

Wallace: Yeah. I see why it's hot. It makes sense.

Wallace: See why it's hot right now. Yeah.

Mahjong player: I needed one pair.

Mahjong player: I needed so much. We needed a lot more.

Yeah, well done! You helped me out. I was gone for the majority of that.

Wallace: Well, we each won. That's good. We each got to win.

I feel like we've met people like James, like a number of times on The Finest, just like community builder people that just put on these like really cool, like authentic events for the right reasons. Like, they just want people to have a good time and experience something interesting and fulfilling.

Evans: And like they also are driven by this desire to make friends. Like yes, they wanna build a community like for the good of the whole, but then also like they build a friend group too, and I think that's really like such a mystery in adulthood is how to make friends.

Wallace: And in our time.

Evans: And in, yeah, in like the digital age.

Wallace: The screen-free friend advocates.

Evans: Yes. Analog fun.

Wallace: Yeah. Yeah.

Evans: Analog fun and friend.

Gutierrez: I do think in general people want a space to belong, absolutely. I will say for our teachers, I've seen that, where they've developed genuine friendships, have now gone out of the group chat into the real life, out of the Tile Club tables, and actually hang out together, and even take trips together and those kind of things. And so I'm proud of that. I think that's great. If anything, if the game was a catalyst for those connections, absolute win.

Evans: Special thanks to Nicole Wong, and James Gutierrez and Sabrina Miranda from No Ambition Tile Club, and Jackie, Yellen, Julia, Nikolai, Ellie, Francesca, John, Paul, Kai and all our new mahjong friends. And thank you so much for listening. If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a rating or comment. It makes a real difference and helps stories like these reach more people.

The Finest is a production of KPBS Public Media in San Diego. I'm your host, Julia Dixon Evans. Our producer is Anthony Wallace, who also composed the score. Ben Redlawsk is our engineer, and Chrissy Nguyen is our editor. This episode was written and researched by Anthony and me.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.