Steampunk, given as how its period of inspiration was at the height of Empire and Imperialism, is sometimes seen to ignore other cultures of the world, or to have the people of those cultures in servile roles to their overlords.
The model is being more an more broken nowadays. One such occurance is a new website, Steampunk India, which endeavours to explore steampunk through a decidedly Indian perspective. If India has featured in steampunk previous, it is usually as part of the British Empire (or equivalent thereof).
I look forward to seeing the site grow and a new perspective of steampunk.