In this course, you will take deep dive into the concepts that we use to describe people who have left their countries of origin, what these concepts do and do not capture about their experiences, and how these concepts affect not only the lives of migrants, but cities, regions, countries, and the world as a whole. More importantly, and throughout all of these discussions you will immerse yourself into the experiences of migrants throughout the world, with a particular emphasis on the experiences of migrants here in Lincoln and on migrants who were forcibly displaced. To do this, we will begin by exploring the fundamental reality that all migrants share: a relationship with the state they live in that is distinct from the relationship that “native-born” citizens of that state have. We will then ask why, in spite of the increased vulnerably inherent in this political status, migrants choose to leave their countries of origin, and why many use irregular forms of migration that can put them in great danger. From there, we will move towards explorations of the various legal designations that we use to describe and categorize different migration experiences, and thus, different human beings: voluntary migrant, refugee, internally displaced person, and asylum seeker, among others. We will not only explore the origins and implications of these concepts, but also explore how they impact the lives of people who are assigned them. We will then move to an exploration of what happens to migrants after they leave their places of origin, with a particular emphasis on refugee resettlement experiences. We will end the semester by exploring the economic, political, and cultural impacts of migration, especially forced migration, on both source and destination societies.