Mobilization of ethnicity in Dutch politics

The process of incorporation of Surinamese and Antilleans in Dutch society has been difficult. Most of the immigrants belong to the lower socio-economic strata. Ethnicity is remarkably important for the incorporation of Surinamese and Antilleans into the political structure. Providing an insight into the political participation of Surinamese and Antilleans in the Netherlands is seriously hampered by the dearth of research in this field. Neither the established parties’ reactions to the influx of immigrants, nor the immigrants’ political activities have attracted much scientific attention. The introduction, initially against the wishes of the Minister of the Interior, of the separate nation-wide consultative bodies mentioned before - which may be seen as a pluralist solution - shows that mobilization of ethnicity may bear fruit. The influence of these splinter parties is limited not only because of their size, but also because they are usually in the opposition.