Objective: Perceived discrimination has been found to be a common acculturative stressor among migrants since it negatively affects their psychological acculturation process. Yet, a comprehensive review that focuses on how perceived discrimination is conceptualized and operationalized in the acculturation context is still missing. Furthermore, given that previous research has shown that subtle discrimination is as harmful as blatant discrimination, it is especially important to understand to what extent subtle forms of discrimination have been considered in the acculturation literature. Following the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute, the present scoping review aims to map and systematize the literature regarding migrants’ perceived discrimination in a psychological acculturation context. Methods: We focused on the experiences of foreign-born, adult migrants. A comprehensive search was executed in three databases (EBSCO, Scopus and Web of Science). The review protocol is available on OSF [https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/AGY9P]. Of the 2.872 identified sources, 151 were included after abstract and full-text screening. A systematic coding scheme was applied to the included articles, allowing for content and thematic analyses. Results: Three-quarters of the included studies were cross-sectional, reported a significant effect of perceived discrimination on psychological outcomes, and considered the effects of linguistic acculturation, acculturative stress, or social identification. Perceived discrimination was measured with more than different 50 scales, yet only five percent of the studies made a clear conceptual difference between subtle and blatant discrimination. A thematic analysis of the most used discrimination scales revealed that these two types of discrimination are often confused and measured ambiguously. Conclusions: The present review identifies important knowledge gaps in the acculturation literature and draws recommendations for future research. First, future studies should adopt longitudinal and (quasi)experimental designs. Second, subtle and blatant forms of discrimination should be carefully conceptualized and operationalized. Subtle forms of discrimination, such as microaggressions, should receive more attention.

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