Workshop: Musings and Mahjong Play

A partnership with Nicole Wong, The Mahjong Book
Saturday, 5/9/2026
2:00 - 5:00
Latino/Hispanic Meeting Room A
Latino/Hispanic Meeting Room B
Main Library

100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

415-557-4400
Register

Explore and experience the Asian diaspora through mahjong.

For many, the sound of clacking mahjong tiles conjures deep-seated memories of late night parties, specific family members, and cultural traditions. In this book talk, Nicole Wong, author of Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora will discuss how mahjong is both a unifier and point of distinction across the Asian diaspora. She will discuss a brief history of the game and its growing popularity in the United States and beyond.

A panel discussion and guided mahjong gameplay (both Chinese and Filipino styles) will follow the book talk. Attendees are welcome to play on their own without an instructor as well.

Copies of Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora will be available for purchase at this event.

Registration required: Please click on blue register button to sign up for this event. 

Registration opens Wednesday, April 1.

Nicole Wong is a writer and audio producer based in Oakland, California. She started The Mahjong Project in 2019—part instructional guide, part oral history project, to document her family’s house rules and place them in the broader history and diaspora of the game itself. She has been featured in The Washington Post, The Associated Press, NPR, Axios, Vogue and more.

Connect: The Mahjong Project - website | Instagram


 

Filipino American Interest

Connect to engaging discussions and performances related to the Filipino American community.

Community & Neighborhood

Build connections with others in our local programs.

Weaving Stories: Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Interest

Programs and workshops, book recommendations and more relating to the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) heritage.

Weaving Stories is the Library's celebration of the many diverse histories and cultures from AANHPI communities.

Spotlight

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.

Public Notice and Disclaimer

This program uses a third-party website link. By clicking on the third-party website link, you will leave SFPL's website and enter a website not operated by SFPL. This service may collect personally identifying information about you, such as name, username, email address, and password. This service will treat the information it collects about you pursuant to its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each third-party website or service that you visit or use, including those third parties with whom you interact through our Library services. For more information about these third-party links, please see the section of SFPL’s Privacy Policy describing Links to Other Sites.

The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.