Every day, new reports emerge of asylum seekers and immigrants being detained, deported, and denied refuge. This happens despite the 1951 Refugee Convention which established an international legal framework affirming the right to seek asylum. Yet this right has never been equally accessible: race, gender, geography, etc. have long shaped who is able to find permanent refuge. In recent years, U.S. asylum and refugee policies have grown even more restrictive; closing off pathways for people in search of protection. This collaborative research seminar examines the complex realities of forced migration, centering the experiences of refugee, asylee, and asylum-seeking youth. Students will engage with key texts, films, and podcasts to explore how “refugee” and “asylum” are legally defined and socially constructed while also interrogating how these definitions have shifted over time. We will pay particular attention to ongoing changes in global and U.S. policies that have steadily narrowed access to refuge. Alongside these structural analyses, we will consider everyday challenges that displaced youth face, including acculturation, access to education, mental and physical well-being, and the constant fear and threat of deportation. A central aspect of the course is a community engagement component: students will serve two hours each week as tutors (in person or online) for refugee, asylee, and immigrant youth enrolled in afterschool programs in different New York City NGOs. These first-hand encounters will allow students to juxtapose theory and practice and by doing so, knowledge will be mutually reinforced and enriched. By the end of the course, students will have gained both practical experience in community-based work and a critical understanding of refugee and asylum policies—past and present—and their profound effects on the lives of young people seeking safety and belonging.