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Three Women ‘White-Washed’ Mahjong and the Internet Is Not Having It

What happens when three white women “discover” an ancient Chinese game and reinvent it to bring it  “to the stylish masses”? The internet gets pissed. Read on to find out why the internet has been up in arms about The Mahjong Line.

 

What is The Mahjong Line?

According to their About Us page (that has now since been rewritten), The Mahjong Line is a company that sells “respectfully refreshed” mahjong sets. It all started when a certain Kate found the artwork of traditional tiles “all the same”. Traditional tiles didn’t “reflect the fun she had” when playing, and they didn’t mirror “her style and personality”.

The Mahjong Line founders; Screenshot from their website

And so, after deciding that the game needed a “respectful refresh”, she and her friends Annie and Bianca came up with this product line:

Screenshot from The Mahjong Line website

What they created was a more colorful version of the game with different artworks on each tile. The company launched in 2020, but when the internet took notice of it in early January 2021, it blew up — and not in a good way.

 


There’s a reason why mahjong tiles haven’t changed

The reason why tiles haven’t changed after hundreds of years isn’t because of a lack of imagination. They’re supposed to look the same because it’s a fast-paced game that requires players to instantly recognize their tiles. Some hardcore players are able to know what their tiles are just from touching them. The Mahjong Line came out with sets that may be more Instagrammable, but by playing around with different icons, colors, and themes, every player would have to familiarize themselves with the sets, making it impractical.

 


Does this mean Mahjong tiles should always stay the same?

Of course not. But there’s a difference between doing a mindful redesign that’s respectful to the culture and doing something just for the aesthetic. One Twitter user pointed out that by redesigning the icons, some of the tiles don’t even make sense anymore:

This wasn’t a “respectful redesign”, this was straight-up whitewashing.

 

A lack of cultural sensitivity

This lack of cultural sensitivity was blatantly obvious in the brand’s social media.

The said photos of the founders wearing “kimonos” — along with all the other photos of the founders and some happy customers — have since been taken down from the website, but this whole brouhaha just begs the question: why weren’t there any Asians on their team? There didn’t seem to be any Asian faces in any of their photos. After all, it’s not like they’d be hard-pressed to find Asians who know what the mahjong tiles represent; according to 2019 data, Texas has an Asian population of over 1.4 million.

 

Also, can we draw your attention to that price tag?

The Mahjong Line’s products come with a $325-$425 price tag. Now, luxury mahjong sets aren’t unheard of (recently, Hermès came out with a $40,400 [approximately P2 MILLION]), but The Mahjong Line’s products ticked the internet off because they’re just not well-designed, plus they were clearly designed with white people in mind.

So with overpriced, whitewashed products, it’s no wonder people were calling this “gentrification”.

 

WTF is “American Mahjong”?

When the backlash first started, the folks behind The Mahjong Line seemed to justify themselves by attempting to separate “American Mahjong” from the Chinese game.

Of course, nobody bought it, cause “American Mahjong” isn’t a thing, shouldn’t ever be a thing, so they should stop making it happen.

 

When appreciation becomes appropriation

Don’t get us wrong, mahjong isn’t just for Asian people. It’s a fun game that anybody can learn and appreciate. But people need to learn that other cultures don’t exist for them to “discover” and “make their own”. The American non-profit Greenheart sums it up perfectly:

“Appreciation is when someone seeks to understand and learn about another culture in an effort to broaden their perspective and connect with others cross-culturally.  Appropriation, on the other hand, is simply taking one aspect of a culture that is not your own and using it for your own personal interest.”

 

Any word from the founders?

In response to the overwhelming backlash, the founders have issued this statement on their website and socials:

“While our intent is to inspire and engage with a new generation of American mahjong players, we recognize our failure to pay proper homage to the game’s Chinese heritage. Using words like ‘refresh’ were hurtful to many and we are deeply sorry.

“We are always open to constructive criticism and are continuing to conduct conversations with those who can provide further insight to the game’s traditions and roots in both Chinese and American cultures.”

They have turned the comments off on their Instagram.

 

What do you think of The Mahjong Line brouhaha? Sound off in the comments below!


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Though a chronic dabbler in whatever tickles her fancy, Cristina claims she can count her passions on one hand: feminism, literature, the environment, embroidery, and the power of a solid pop song. She lives in Uniqlo lounge pants and refuses to leave the house without a winged eye.

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