Malaysian writer Jha has an in-depth article on The Intersection of Race and Steampunk: Colonialism’s After-Effects & Other Stories, from a Steampunk of Colour’s Perspective:

Before I explain further my interest in this subculture, I should give some context on myself: I was born and raised in Malaysia, a nation formerly part of the British Commonwealth, colonized from the 1600s until after World War II. Many things British still exist: it manifests in our education systems, the fact that English is a common second (and first) language for folks middle-class and above, our parliament, et al. I grew up reading English literature, and eventually left to get a Canadian degree in English. Malaysia has its own peculiar set of problems with regard to race and nationality, some of which are after-effects from our dual history (of British colonialism versus Islamic influence).

I sometimes feel my “Western” sensibilities are after-effects of British colonialism, or Western imperialism in general - it would explain my disdain for Malaysian culture when growing up, the admiration for Westerners who seemed so individualistic, who had all those bright ideas, who wrote such interesting stories that even a person on the other side of the world felt transported by them. - Read the rest of the essay.