Navigating Precarious Citizenship in Schools: Newcomer Youth of Color at the Intersection of Race and Ability

Refugee and asylum-seeking youth of color from African and Middle Eastern countries contend with racist-ableist structures in host-nation schools, primarily through newcomer supports offered to them. Considering their unique migratory experiences, this comprehensive systematic literature review explored how youth of color from Africa and the Middle East are supported in host-nation schools already entrenched in systemic racism and ableism. This review advanced precarious citizenship as a framework to explain student experiences. The findings showed how segregation and exclusion, ableist determinations of civic fitness, and assimilationist imperatives introduced precarity and foreclosed educational opportunities. Implications for research and practice are discussed, emphasizing the importance of disrupting racism and ableism in supporting newcomer youth of color.