Let’s Mahjong, Monroe!

ARTICLE BY VANELIS RIVERA
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY MOORE CLARK

FROM HOLLYWOOD TO HOME TABLES

Inspired by pop culture and driven by passionate local teachers, Mahjong has surged in popularity in Northeast Louisiana, where the newly formed Monroe Mahjong Club blends the game’s rich cultural history with community, strategy, and modern enthusiasm.

In the film Crazy Rich Asians (2018), a pivotal scene is set at a Mahjong parlor. Our shrewd protagonist,Rachel Chu (played by Constance Wu), sits with two older women, tidying rows of stacked green and white Mahjong tiles, waiting for the fourth player to arrive. Enter the film’s antagonist, Eleanor Sung-Young (played by Michelle Yeoh), the protective mother of Chu’s boyfriend. Elegant and taut, she takes off her designer shades, and nears the table, and is handed dice. She rolls them on the center of the table, and the game commences. Amid the dance of hands to tiles, Chu addresses Sung-Young in face-off fashion: “My mom taught me how to play. She told me Mahjong would teach me important life skills—negotiation, strategy, cooperation.” This scene is riddled with the symbolism of the game, adding to the emotional depth of the scene’s outcome: Chu earning her future mother-in-law’s respect. Suffice to say, along with its growth in popularity during the pandemic, it has been a source of inspiration for experienced and beginning players alike. This captivating game, with its exquisite tiles and colorful mats, has graced the rooms of many American homes since, even in Monroe. But recently, a group of Mahjong aficionados has been gathering with frequency at what could be considered a makeshift Mahjong parlor with the hope of sharing the joy of mahjong.

Amy Taylor, now a Mahjong teacher with Oh My Mahjong and Mahj Life Instructor Guild, was introduced to Mahjong by her sister-in-law, who had taken a lesson and was playing regularly with a group of friends. Inspired, Taylor began practicing on her own for a while, then began gathering around tables with friends and “never looked back.” Her Mahjong group took the proverbial leap and traveled to a small Mahjong tournament in Austin, Texas. “We met ladies from all over, and we enjoyed playing at a more competitive level,” she says. The experience ignited more curiosity in the game, prompting her to go “down a rabbit hole,” researching all the essential details of the game’s rules and particular nuances. She also became intrigued by the history of the game—its origins, the evolution and style of tile sets, its many traditions, and, of course, its generational and cultural connections. With a newfound momentum, she began thinking of holding Mahjong lessons in Monroe, but realized there were no local instructors. There weren’t even (at the time) any local places to buy Mahjong sets and accessories. Thankfully, her friend Rhonda Neal (currently in production to put some of her original artwork on tiles and mats) introduced her to Joyce Sims, owner of Material Things, who agreed to team up to bring Mahjong to Monroe. As a result, the Monroe Mahjong Club was established in the fall of 2025. Currently, they are 48 members strong and offer a variety of lessons and open play on Fridays. Additionally, the store now carries Mahjong tiles, mats, racks, and fun accessories.

Taylor’s teaching approach is comprehensive, and she begins Mahjong 101 by emphasizing the history of the game. Its origins are Chinese. Developed in the late 1800s around Eastern China, its popularity grew to such an extent that it has been referred to as China’s “national pastime.” In the early 1920s, the game gained international traction thanks to exporters, marketers, and businessmen. Most notable among them was Joseph Park Babcock, who founded the Mah-Jongg Sales Co. and began importing tile sets to the United States. The fad first spread among the American elite with players like President Harding and Hollywood celebrities, but eventually gained traction across the country. In 1937, a group of Jewish women in New York City founded the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) in order to streamline the rules, establishing what is now referred to as “American Mahjong.” Since then, Mahjong has had strong roots in the Jewish community, even among the Jewish community in Monroe, who have been enjoying the pastime long before its recent surge in popularity. Of course, Mahjong in popular culture has factored into waves of interest. Before Crazy Rich Asians, Amy Tan’s novel The Joy Luck Club (1989) and the film adaptation released in 1993 features scenes with Chinese women gathering around a playing table. The current Mahjong surge has reached the market with an explosion of “trendy” tiles that veer away from the traditional images, such as university and holiday themed tiles. But Taylor is partial to traditional tiles, particularly vintage, hand-engraved bone tiles that use the classic images such as the dots or wheels, Chinese characters, bamboo, and dragons.

Often compared to gin rummy, the general objective of the game is to reach certain tile combinations before the other players. For American Mahjong, these tile combinations are produced in the Official Standard Hands and Rules game card released by the NMJL every April. “The card changes annually to add interest and complexity to the game,” informs Taylor. Though a learner’s first sit down with Taylor—learning the names of the tiles, how to read the numbered rows of the NMJL card, nuances of game set up and flow, and basic rules—may initially feel “as clear as mud,” the only way to make sense of it all is to start playing. “It gets real bad before it gets better,” jokes Taylor, as she attends to bursts of questions from beginners unsure of what tiles to keep and discard. Eventually, a flow state is established, and Taylor inches away from the players who have yet to notice that their pace has quickened and questions diminished. “You have to stick with it,” says Taylor with encouragement.

For many seasoned players, including Taylor, Mahjong is about spending time with friends, building connections, taking a direly needed break from screens, and boosting memory, strategy, and focus. Though some still consider it a “grandmother’s game,” its recent resurgence in popularity has a lot of young people hooked. “It truly spans all ages, cultures, and genders. The beautiful tiles, mats, tablescapes, and themes have brought a whole new generation into the fold, of course, with the help of social media,” says Taylor. In fact, Taylor has taught women who have then sat down to teach their young daughters using cards and tiles designed for kids.

It doesn’t take much to begin your Mahjong journey. Take a series of lessons, find a tile set in your budget (there are plenty of options), find some adventurous friends, and establish a place to play. Of course, you can start with the help of Monroe Mahjong. The club has several events in the works, including Galentine’s Mahjong Night, a date night, and a mini-tournament. In addition to offering private and group lessons, they can also help you host a Mahjong party in your home. Don’t hold off from learning a new skill this year, especially one with such cultural and communal depth. After all, as Taylor would say, playing Mahjong is doing something good for your brain.

You can follow Monroe Mahjong on Facebook and Instagram or email Taylor at monroemahjong318@gmail.com for more information.