At the Table
Appreciation, appropriation, and a longer history
Public media traces the game's American story with care.
GBH published a piece on May 15 tracing the history of mahjong in America and weighing the line between appropriation and appreciation, interviewing retired educator Vivian Wu Wong and enthusiast Michelle Yee, and referencing Nicole Wong's book on the game across the Asian diaspora.
One line from the coverage is worth holding: a wish that people learn more about the history and the role the game has played in different Asian American communities.
OOTT is not affiliated with GBH. We center the same thing the piece does, which is respect for the game's Chinese origins and the communities that kept it alive.