Steampunk & Race

Posted on July 16, 2009 | Leave a comment

spacer In my essay about steampunk and politics, I noted, “Steampunk’s Victorian aesthetic links it, rather unfortunately, to the colonialist British Empire, with all the racism and oppression it embodied,” a linkage that I thought had been underexplored by the steampunk subculture. I’m delighted to learn that at least two thoughtful steampunk essayists are addressing these questions:

The Intersection of Race and Steampunk: Colonialism’s After-Effects & Other Stories, from a Steampunk of Colour’s Perspective by Jha, at Racialicious. The discussion starts about halfway down, after an introduction of the steampunk movement. “The Victorian age was oppressive and colonialist; the steampunk subculture can allow for liberation and diversity. The alternate history aspect of steampunk enables a wider playground for PoC to assert their cultural backgrounds in their many forms of expressions.”

More thoughts on steampunk’s intersection with race and colonialism can be found at Jha’s blog, Rebellious Jezebel Blogging; see especially her steampunk-tagged posts here.

Similarly, dmp’s Tales of an Urban Adventurer often addresses such issues. For example,

Thoughts about Orientalism, Imperialism & Steampunking Asia by dmp at Tales of an Urban Adventurer: “If I cosplay as a Brit-influenced wear, do I see myself as being assimilated into Western culture? If I decide to “go eastern” and wear Chinese/Japanese influenced clothing, I’m promoting the stereotype of “only two countries in Asia” (which is already present in current steampunk culture)? Is it fair that in order to participate in a subculture that appeals to me, I have to either pretend to be European or Chinese (while I’m not either)?”

“From the Wilds of America” — Analyzing the Idea of “British Colonial America” in Steampunk by dmp at Tales of an Urban Adventurer: “Why is the concept of the United States as a colonized America so appealing to steampunks? Is this notion damaging to steampunks of color (SoCs), whose histories are negatively intertwined with the realities of colonialism? Does the idea of a colonial America promote or denounce the imperialism that existed during the Age of Empire?” 

See also the follow-up post, Re-envisioning America as Indian Country: An Interview with Steam Century.

I enthusiastically support these writers for addressing these questions; I love steampunk, but it has some uncomfortable historical associations, especially for someone of white European descent, such as myself (my immediate ancestry is Italian, French, and German).  Addressing such associations  and expanding the discourse surrounding steampunk’s political and ideological underpinnings only serves to enrich the movement. I hope others take up the challenge, as well.

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