Gaming goes around the world. Gambling games like horse racing, poker, and roulette were imported to China during the late Qing and Republican periods and has been studied by many scholars. A recent example is the book by Chang Ning that describes how horse racing, greyhound racing, and Basque pelota took root in modern Shanghai.1 But a lesser-known move took place during the same period: many Chinese games were exported, making their way to other countries all over the world. Annelise Heinz is pioneering this study, as she is the first scholar to publish book-length research devoted to the journey of mahjong to the United States.
In the absence of relevant archives, Heinz makes use of a large array of sources, such as newspapers, periodicals, diaries, and oral histories. Iconography deserves a mention, as there are many images throughout the book, which are aptly discussed and connected to the...
