Mahjong! An American Obsession

A full century after first taking the nation by storm in the 1920s, mahjong is experiencing a massive cultural renaissance. This dynamic show explores how a 19th-century Chinese game evolved into a beloved cornerstone of American Jewish life and became an enduring source of connection for the wider community.

Going beyond the rules of the game, this exhibition uncovers a dynamic, multi-faceted history. It explores the story of Joseph P. Babcock, who learned of the game in Shanghai, China, in the 1920s, simplified the rules, and brought it to California. Mahjong! then travels through the 20th and 21st centuries, with a special focus on the living rooms and summer resorts where Jewish women made the game their own.

The exhibition will explore themes of immigration, gender, leisure, ethnic and cultural difference, game design, and industrialization history. Mahjong! is about the way different histories collide with the click, click, click of a game tile. It unwinds the story within the history of games and the way they change, about how a century-old suit-matching contest connects new players to the past and experienced players to one another.

Through original research, community-collected artifacts, oral histories, and interactive gallery spaces featuring open table play, Mahjong! An American Obsession highlights how Jewish stories weave into the broader American fabric. It’s both “only a game” and has come to be much more.

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