What is Emotional Imperialism?

Many philosophers emphasize the centrality of language to not just express, but create and shape one’s thoughts, emotions, and internal life. I argue that language shapes how affect and emotion circulate across linguistic boundaries, such that interlingual circulation demands the interpretive work of translation, and the mistranslation of affect works to oppress the emotional life of minorities within a dominant linguistic culture. The concept of “emotional imperialism” is one way to frame this kind of oppression, but it currently falls short. Drawing on Maria Lugones’ concept of “worlds-of-sense,” I propose a renewed concept of emotional imperialism: the failure or refusal to travel to the Other’s world.