Introduction: Race, ethnicity, and racism shape everyday life, activities and human occupation. Increasingly, they are recognized as part of an anti-oppressive practice of occupational therapy. However, their practical implications remain understudied.
Objectives: This paper aims to present a historical overview and critically analyze how race and ethnicity have been addressed and discussed in occupational therapy and occupational science over time.
Methods: Part of a two-year international research project, a scoping review is conducted to map a global panorama up to 2024. Searches are carried out in databases such as CINAHL, LILACS, PUBMED, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and key journals in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish, alongside grey literature. Data is analyzed through social occupational therapy and critical occupational science backgrounds.
Results: Despite recent discussions on race and ethnicity, historical analyses remain scarce and often limited to specific linguistic and geographical contexts. Experiential knowledge related to professional practices is also underexplored. Education and practice standards in social and cultural dimensions have yet to lead to measurable change regarding oppression and inequity. Notable contributions include Brazilian research on Black populations as well as critical occupational science scholarship on Indigenous peoples in Colombia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and on Turtle Island (in what is now Canada).
Conclusion: Although still marginalized, emerging literature on race and ethnicity as well as anti-oppressive practices in occupational therapy highlight the need for multi-lingual and global perspectives. Expanding these discussions is essential to challenging entrenched power structures and supporting resistance practices of Black and Indigenous communities.