Scoping Review

This scoping literature review works to understand how current knowledge has described visible minority entrepreneurs in Canada in an attempt to draw parallels that may assist Black entrepreneurs in navigating.

The sparse literature on Canada’s visible minorities reveals their struggle with systemic oppression and the barriers they encounter while trying to navigate their entrepreneurial journeys in a new land. Regardless of their significant contributions, they are undervalued, and their contributions are understudied. Our scoping review was an attempt to fill this void by understanding the experiences of visible minorities (notably Black, Chinese, and South Asian populations) and the strategies adopted by them as they established their businesses in Canada.

Findings suggest that due to the scarcity of social, cultural, and economic capital, visible minority populations experience additional challenges and hurdles. Particularly noting that Black entrepreneurs are not well-positioned to embrace entrepreneurship as a viable means of generating familial and communal wealth. They do not usually opt for entrepreneurship but are often pushed into it as a pathway to survival. These findings underscore the need for more research to inform social policy and practice, better enabling Black Canadians to access the full potential that entrepreneurship offers within their communities and beyond.