By Eliana Yoken ‘26

From events in Los Angeles parks to clubs in New York City, the Chinese game of Mahjong is spreading like wildfire. Mahjong serves as a source of cultural immersion and an opportunity to compete in a truly fun game.

Traditionally found in family kitchens and community centers across the world, the click-clack of Mahjong tiles is on the rise again. Once seen as a game for grandmothers, this centuries-old Chinese pastime now resonates with young players seeking community and a break from screens.

“Seven bam!” I call, tossing the shiny Mahjong tile in front of me. I read out the number of bamboo sticks engraved into the tile as I have learned to do over and over again. Around my old card table sit my mom, my friend, her mom, and I, all in our usual spots.

Mahjong brought this group together a little over a year ago, and ever since, the game has been our weekly ritual. For me, every Sunday, Mahjong provides an escape from life—a time to be competitive and build relationships, alongside learning new skills.

Catlin Gabel Mandarin teacher Beining Hu agrees, “I like that Mahjong combines fun, strategy, and connection. It requires observation, quick thinking, and psychological insight, which make it both challenging and rewarding,” she says.

Featured in this image is an American-style Mahjong set. Each suit is featured, including cracks (the Chinese characters), white dragons (the rectangles), flowers, jokers, red dragons, green dragons, bams (the bamboo sticks), and dots.
*Courtesy of* *Where The Wind Blows: Mahjong Supplies and Gifts.*

The game is simultaneously simple and complex, with similarities to gin rummy and rummikub.

While the core objective of building sets of tiles remains constant throughout all iterations of the game, the nuances of the rules reflect local customs and preferences.

The American version, for instance, uses a set of 152 tiles with joker tiles and relies on a yearly-updated National Mahjong League card to determine winning hands. In contrast, Chinese Mahjong features a more straightforward approach to the game with simpler rules. Moreover, Japanese Mahjong is known for its added complexity and strategy.

The story of Mahjong in America, however, is more complicated than a simple revival. Its boom in the 1920s was fueled by marketing campaigns that distanced the game from its Chinese roots, reflecting the cultural disparities of a time of intense anti-immigrant sentiment. According to National Geographic, the game's new wave of popularity brings both a celebration of its cultural richness and a recognition of its nuanced background.

Personally, I prefer American Mahjong as it is what I am accustomed to. In fact, it is very common for Jewish women to join together in games of Mahjong; the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) was formed by a group of Jewish women in 1937. To this day, the league strives to maintain consistency of participation in the game.

Last summer, I had the privilege of learning how to play the Chinese iteration of the game. The experience was eye-opening to say the least. I got to explore another culture in a new way, and I had so much fun in doing so.

Chinese Mahjong feels, in a way, more traditional. Rather than reading an instruction card written in English, I found myself needing to translate the rules and the tiles to fit what I was accustomed to.

My Jewish Learning found that, “Mahjong’s precursors may be centuries old, but the game most Americans know dates back only about 150 years.” They noted that “around 1846, a servant of the Chinese emperor combined the rules of popular card games of the time, and replaced cards with tiles to create Mah-Jongg.”

Even the National Library of Medicine (NLM) describes Mahjong as a game of “intellectual and social leisure,” emphasizing its complexity and the relationships it fosters.

As my mom, Jennifer Yoken, puts it, “people want to slow down in this world, connect with each other, and sit around a table.” She also added that Mahjong allows people to “put their phones away and just laugh, smile, and have fun.” She sees the game as a form of “social connection and a way to get together” and bond over something loved for hundreds of years.

A love for the game runs in my family—from my great-grandmother to my grandmother to my mom, and now me—four generations tied together by one set of tiles. I first started playing during the pandemic to bond with my family, and it quickly became much more than a pastime. It’s a living tradition that keeps my heritage and relationships strong.

So, why should you play Mahjong?

Mahjong sharpens the mind while nurturing connection. It’s perfect for both introverts and extroverts, offering moments of quiet focus and lively table talk. The NLM states that, “Overall, the results of the observational studies suggested that more Mahjong-playing experience was associated with better cognitive, psychological, and functional abilities.”

An analysis of the benefits of board games done by The Washington Post found that the mix of strategy and luck makes it both intellectually stimulating and joyfully unpredictable. “The uncertainties and luck components of the game may create pleasure feelings and attraction to the players, which promote and foster the popularity of the game,” according to the NLM.

As I believe I have made clear, I am an avid Mahjong player. It is something that I am very passionate about, yet I understand that not a lot of people know of the game's existence or background. That is why I want to share it with the Catlin community.

Mahjong aligns perfectly with Catlin Gabel’s values of integrity, inclusion, and kindness.

As Beining Hu accounts, “Mahjong can be a great cultural and language learning activity for students at Catlin.” She believes it could allow Catlin students “to explore Chinese traditions while practicing critical thinking and teamwork. In today’s world, Mahjong has already spread internationally—with versions like Japanese and American Mahjong—and it serves as a bridge for cross-cultural communication.”

Though very different across cultures, the Mahjong community is united through a shared love for the game.

With an estimated 600 million players worldwide, Mahjong is more than a game; it’s a bridge between cultures. Bringing Mahjong to Catlin could offer students a new way to connect, unwind, and find joy in their everyday lives.

At its core, the game is unique. Mahjong fosters connection not only with others but with new cultures and oneself. It teaches strategy and patience but also reminds us to slow down, laugh, and listen.

Whether through Mandarin classes or community events, introducing Mahjong at Catlin would offer students a new way to connect, learn, get off their devices, and have fun together.

OPINION: How Mahjong connects cultures and why it matters at Catlin Gabel