AbstractAs foreigners, first‐generation immigrants have generally been excluded from the political process in France. Under French nationality laws, however, most of their children acquire French citizenship and with it full political rights. During the 1980s younger members of the North African community have become particularly active. Initially, their energies were channelled mainly into pressure groups and protest organizations. More recently, the emphasis has switched to the electoral arena, with voter registration campaigns and concerted efforts at placing ethnic‐minority candidates on the lists of the main parties. These efforts were rewarded with the election of several hundred local councillors from North African backgrounds in 1989.