The Surge
Kveller Asks Whether Mah Jongg Has Hit Its Peak
A June essay weighs the current American mah jongg boom against the 1920s craze, and lands on a hopeful answer.
A June 15 essay in Kveller asks whether American mah jongg has reached its peak, and suggests that may be the wrong question. The piece frames the present surge against the 1920s craze that an earlier generation of Jewish women turned into a lasting tradition, according to the report.
Kveller points to signs the tables keep filling. The article reports that 75 percent of the Minneapolis Mahjong Club's classes are sold out through the summer, and that new game spaces have been opening across the Twin Cities. It credits pandemic-era isolation and a renewed hunger for in-person connection as part of what is drawing people back to the tiles.
The piece quotes player Laura Zhang, who tells Kveller that mahjong is meant to be shared but still needs to be handled with care, a nod to the game's Chinese origins and the communities that have carried it. Minneapolis player Abbe Blacker tells the outlet she loves passing down the tradition.
Prim's take: this does not sound like a peak. It sounds like the part where a fad quietly becomes a habit.