Antecedents and consequences of perceived misrecognition and perceived discrimination in ethnic minorities  

This paper reports a quantitative investigation of the antecedents and consequences of misrecognition for group relations. Moreover, as we simultaneously take into account effects associated with perceived discrimination, we are able to show the added value of attending to the experience of misrecognition as a predictor of outcomes relevant to intergroup relations. The sample comprised 368 Dutch participants with an Antillean (n = 126), Chinese (n = 118), or Surinamese (n = 124) ethnic background. Results indicated that those who identified strongly with their ethnic group and who perceived other (so-called ‘native’) Dutch people as having negative perceptions of their ethnic group, reported greater levels of misrecognition and discrimination. In turn, higher levels of misrecognition and perceived discrimination were associated with participants reporting lower levels of Dutch identification, lower levels of trust in Dutch authorities, and a greater willingness to exhibit collective action on behalf of their ethnic group. Specifically, misrecognition was more strongly associated with Dutch identification and trust in Dutch authorities, while perceived discrimination was more strongly associated with collective action tendencies. These findings point to the practical and theoretical importance of misrecognition: Both the experience of discrimination and misrecognition are relevant to understanding the sustainable integration of ethnic minorities in multi-cultural societies.