THE NEW YORK TIMES 
“Spring Awakening” — March 22, 2025 
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/22/briefing/spring-awakening.html
“One afternoon last week, I convinced a friend to accompany me to a restaurant in Brooklyn to learn how to play Hong Kong-style mahjong.”

While this is a New York Times briefing rather than a full trend feature, its Brooklyn mahjong lesson is a useful indication of the game’s renewed social visibility in urban America.

THE ATLANTIC 
“My Descent Into Mah-Jongg” — June 15, 2026 
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/06/mahjong-set-tiles-popularity/687482/
“American mah-jongg resurgence.”

The Atlantic examines the current American mah-jongg boom through premium tile sets, new players, and the debate around commercialization, tradition, and cultural ownership.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 
“America Is Hooked on Mahjong. I Tried to Find Out Why.” — April 17, 2026 
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/american-mahjong-obsession-6bae4ca9
“America Is Hooked on Mahjong.”

The Wall Street Journal frames mahjong as a fast-growing social obsession. It reports that U.S. searches for mahjong clubs on Yelp rose 4,467% from September 2024 through August 2025 compared with the previous 12 months, and connects the boom to clubs, bars, parties, upscale tile brands, and younger players.

NPR 
“The Tile Game Mahjong Is Growing in Interest & Building Community” — January 24, 2026 
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/24/nx-s1-5678606/mahjong-tile-game-community-building
“More people around the U.S. are picking up the centuries-old tile game Mahjong and uncovering new community connections in the process.”

NPR presents mahjong’s revival as more than a game trend: it is a way for people to meet in person, build cross-generational connections, and form community around a shared, screen-free activity.