The Mahjong Line: Mahjong Set Company apologizes for game design

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A Texas company that makes expensive, colorful mahjong tiles is apologizing after critics called its revamp of the popular Chinese game culturally insensitive.

The Mahjong Line began selling its limited edition versions of the game – with names like “The Minimal Line,” “The Botanical Line” and “The Cheeky Line” – in November for between $ 325 and $ 425.

The Cheeky Line, for example, replaces traditional Chinese symbols with bubbles, lightning bolts and tiles decorated with sacks of flour and a Whoopie pillow.

The website designs and language did not suit many people on social media, who said the removal of Chinese characters erased the cultural significance of the game.

“My culture is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. It is the product of thousands of years of tradition and history. My culture is not a cheap coloring book that can be filled in and ‘made pretty “by the criteria of the privileged teenyboppers,” wrote Jeremy Lee in a tweet that had thousands of interactions.

The company issued an apology and updated much of the language on its website on Wednesday and removed a photo of the three women who founded the business from its About page. The company has not stopped selling any of its games.

“While our intention 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’ has been hurtful to many and we are deeply sorry, ”the company wrote.

“It is imperative that our followers know that we never intend to ignore or distort the origins of this game and to know that there are more conversations to be had and action to be taken as we go. as we learn and grow. We are always open to constructive criticism and continue to conduct conversations with those who can provide additional insight into the traditions and roots of the game in Chinese and American cultures. “

Why the company decided to “ refresh ” the tiles

American Mahjong is similar to Rummy, but it is played with tiles instead of cards, according to the National Mahjong League. It is a variation of the game that was created in China in the 1800s.
Kate LaGere, one of the founders of the company, decided that “the venerable game needs a respectful refresh” because the traditional tiles in the game “do not reflect the fun of playing with friends” and do ” did not come close to his style and personality, ”according to an archived version of the company’s website.

Lee, who works for an affordable housing developer in San Francisco’s Chinatown, told CNN he was appalled by the changes.

“It’s a product with hundreds of years of tradition and culture and every piece has meaning, and it’s just a total disregard for it all,” he said.

Lee said his mother taught him to play mahjong when he was a child.

“Every time my family gets together, we remove the tiles and we play,” he said. “It’s a way to stay in touch with my culture.”

Yuelin Ge, Chinese-Canadian graduate student in Toronto, pposted an open letter to the founders of The Mahjong Line on Twitter.

“I am more than disappointed with the atrocity you have committed. Sorry, was MY CULTURE too boring for you and not trendy enough? she wrote.

She told CNN that they don’t have to insult mainstream gaming to justify their creations.

“They said, you know, ‘We create this based on the fact that we were bored with the previous models, we didn’t feel like they were, you know, exciting enough or fresh enough,” she declared. “Which completely negates the fact that the original design has been around since, honestly, there have been a few variations (of the game) since, like the 1800s.”

Ge felt the company’s apology was somewhat lackluster and said she hoped they would listen to criticism and give Asians meaningful roles in their leadership team.

The Mahjong Line continues to sell all of its sets on its website.

“We stand behind our products and are proud to be one of many companies offering a wide range of tiles and accessories for the game of American mahjong,” LeGere said in a statement. “That being said, we take full responsibility that in our quest to introduce new tiles, we have unintentionally recreated an experience shared by many Asian Americans of cultural erasure and we are working to correct this error.”



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