Uitsluiting in de politiek Over ervaren representatie bij personen met een migratieachtergrond

In this article we discuss perceived political representation of people with a migration background. Generally speaking, Dutch politics and especially national politics, is seen as not very diverse and very white. For Dutch people with a migration background, having a similar migration background with politicians is important because certain experiences are shared that political representatives can articulate in the political arena. For many Dutch people with a migration background, descriptive representation is a first step towards experienced substantive representation. In the article we show that descriptive representation does not automatically lead to strong perceived substantive political representation. The respondents in this study attribute this, among other things, to the political system, which offers little room to highlight issues surrounding diversity, inclusion and discrimination. Perceived exclusion is an important factor for perceived political representation. The feeling that groups and individuals ultimately do not count contributes to perceived distance from the political system. The way in which issues such as migration, discrimination, racism and diversity are discussed and acted upon in the political and public debate has an impact on perceived representation. The narrative that people with a migration background often consider essential is not accepted and translated into politics.