Mahjong might be centuries old, but MKE Mahjong Social Group is giving the game a fresh Milwaukee spin.
MKE Mahjong has quickly grown into one of the city’s most unique grassroots communities — bringing together people across cultures, generations, and experience levels through conversation and (friendly) competition.
Founded by Stephanie Wong and Vinson Chu, MKE Mahjong Social Group has become more than just a game night. It’s a growing cultural hub where complete beginners sit alongside seasoned players, strangers become friends, and Milwaukee’s evolving Asian American community gets another space to shine.
We caught up with Stephanie and Vinson to talk about building community through mahjong, creating inclusive spaces in Milwaukee, and why this centuries-old game is suddenly having a serious moment in the Cream City.
How did MKE Mahjong Social Group get its start? What are your and Vinson’s backgrounds?
Stephanie Wong (SW): I am a Wisconsin native, and have been in Milwaukee for 26 years. I work in Brand Marketing and Events. Since college, I have longed to find people to play mahjong with. After COVID, I started to network with more Asian Americans and found Vinson through YAPPIEmke. With my experience in events and Vinson’s love for numbers, we launched MKE Mahjong Social Group formally in 2024
Vinson Chu (VC): Originally from Michigan, I moved to Milwaukee right after grad school for a scientist job. After settling in, I missed playing mahjong. I reached out to members of YAPPIE (Young Asian Professionals of Milwaukee) and Stephanie was one of the first ones to respond! We got our first game in and started to recruit friends of friends, and also through Yappie. Our group got pretty big and we believed it had potential to be a thriving community in MKE. We launched our first event in 2024, it was a full house, and we’ve been growing ever since!
How long have you been hosting events for? Have you faced any major challenges with growing your group or any triumph stories?
We’ve been hosting events since 2024! One of the biggest challenges has been finding the right balance between event frequency and location. We want to avoid spreading the player pool too thin with too many events, while still making events accessible to people across the greater Milwaukee area.
A big win for us has been establishing monthly game nights at Wauwatosa Library, while also hosting pop-up events throughout Milwaukee. That balance has helped us grow the community while keeping events consistent and welcoming.
What is MKE Mahjong and why did you feel it would be a good fit in Milwaukee?
We felt mahjong would be a great fit for Milwaukee because the game naturally brings people together. Mahjong is rooted in hospitality, conversation, and friendly competition — values that align well with Milwaukee and Midwest culture. At our events, people chat, snack, laugh, and enjoy competitive games together.
Milwaukee also has a history of segregation between communities, and mahjong is a game that already bridges generational gaps within Asian American homes. We believe it can help bridge cultural gaps too, by creating shared experiences and connections across different backgrounds.
What’s the mission behind Mahjong Social Group?
We founded this group as Asian Americans with the goal of building community through our shared love of mahjong. We welcome players of all backgrounds and experience levels, from complete beginners to seasoned players. Our mission is to teach mahjong to everyone and help players grow their skills in a competitive and social environment while creating a space in Milwaukee that brings people together across cultures and generations through mahjong and a celebration of Asian American culture. Our passion for community is often reflected through our collaborations with local businesses and community organizations, helping us strengthen connections throughout Milwaukee.
What is it like being positioned in MKE? If you’re a woman, minority, or LGBTQ+ owned business, please feel free to touch on your experiences as an entrepreneur in that space as well.
Being a community-driven organization in Milwaukee has been incredibly rewarding because people here genuinely want to support local groups, small businesses, and grassroots communities. As an Asian American-founded organization, we’ve been proud to create a space that celebrates culture, connection, and learning through mahjong while welcoming people from all ages and backgrounds.
What do you like about being in Milwaukee?
What we love most about Milwaukee is that it’s a city with growing potential and an increasingly vibrant Asian American presence. There’s a strong need for community here, and people are excited to support new cultural experiences and grassroots organizations.
We’re especially proud to be the first traditional mahjong club in Milwaukee. It’s been exciting to introduce more people to the game while helping create a safe space where culture, competition, and community can come together.
What’s your favorite part about what you’re doing?
SW: The most healing and rewarding part has been creating a space where people from all cultural backgrounds and generations can come together, learn from one another, build lasting connections, and feel a true sense of community.
VC: Seeing player growth. Some of our top-ranked players used to struggle reading tiles, and now they are dominating.
What do you want people to know about MKE Mahjong, or Mahjong in general?
Anyone can learn mahjong! Whether you’re completely new to the game or have years of experience, we welcome players of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels to our tables. We also welcome and appreciate different styles of mahjong beyond Hong Kong mahjong, and we love creating opportunities for people to learn from one another and share their traditions.
What can people expect when going to an MKE Mahjong meetup?
People can expect a welcoming, social, and engaging environment at an MKE Mahjong meetup. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced player, our events are designed to help people learn, practice, and connect through mahjong.
We welcome all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, and we love to teach new players.
You can find upcoming meetups and events through our Facebook, Instagram, or our website (https://linktr.ee/mkemahjong). Follow us to stay updated on future gatherings and pop-up events around Milwaukee.
Anything else we should know about your organization or anything you’d like to mention? Any favorite stories?
Sun’s out, and we’re bringing back outdoor events along with some exciting new ones this summer! Expect more late-night meetups for full mahjong gameplay, great conversation, and community fun.