In part 1, Matthew and the Princess enjoy tea as he tells her his story, rather the story of Black America, where “they sat an hour drinking tea in the Tiergarten” pp.14
Tea has significance in this text placed in the larger context of Afro-Asian intimacies within the novel, in that it seemingly acts as a coming-together of the two parts of the world- East, and West. The origins of tea can be traced back to China, where it was believed to be discovered around the 30th century BC and 21st century BC (teabox). However, it wasn’t until 202 BC and 220 AD that tea was in use as a beverage, where it was offered to nobility but eventually grew in popularity to become a staple in Chinese tradition. Tea was a prized commodity in the rest of the world- along trade routes into India, Turkey, and eventually Europe. Tea also played a large role in the development of colonialism, especially concerning the English empire, becoming a vital import in British colonies.
The setting of part 1 in Berlin, where the two English-speaking people of color- one Brown and one Black- come together for afternoon tea is a note to the quotidian impact of European colonialism/imperialism, the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and the ways in which Afro-Asia interact, directly and indirectly. Many people credit the British for the global popularization of tea without acknowledging the violent colonial history that made it plausible- the appropriation of its cultural significance in Asia and the extraction of indigenous peoples’ resources/labor in order to produce high volumes of tea.
DuBois, W.E.B. Dark Princess: A Romance. Oxford University Press, 2007.
Teabox. “History of Tea.” UK Tea & Infusions Association, 20 Apr. 2017, www.tea.co.uk/history-of-tea.
Marie, I like your point about the unspoken events that make possible cross exchange between different cultures and ethnic groups. If we pondered the history behind each commodity/service that we utilize daily, we would find it to reflect a history of thievery and appropriation on the part of colonizers as well as underappreciation of historically oppressed contributions. My own schooling experience has angered me at the blatantly white washed version of ‘globalization’ that we are taught – how goods and commodities began to move from place to place by human nature (connectivity) without mention of the aggressive tactics that colonizers and world powers used to open themselves up to other countries resources.