Iftikhar, Simal

This study examines the lived experiences of refugee students in the Canadian education system and how the barriers they face have influenced their learning and identity. This qualitative study employs critical discourse analysis to bring visibility to the educational experiences of five participants who completed high school in Canada and explores their experiences with resettlement and what would have made their lives better at that time. DisAbility Critical Race Theory informs the researcher on deconstructing and dismantling the deeply entrenched discourses in Canadian schools; to make the implied relationships between language, Western norms, power, whiteness, and race clear. This study is motivated by the researcher's own identity as a newcomer with challenges navigating the Canadian education system, positionalities that have led to the question: Are refugees truly welcome here? Information gathered from this study can support Canadian schools to create just, critically informed, and supportive educational environments for refugee students.

Author Keywords: discourses, identity, power, race, refugees, whiteness