This study focuses on art classrooms as spaces where artistic expression and visual cultural images critically reflect social justice issues, such as refugees, migration, and U.S. imperialism. The authors propose critical refugee studies (CRS; Espiritu, 2014) and difficult knowledge (Pitt & Britzman, 2003) as useful theoretical lenses to teach critically about U.S. wars, and they describe an art educational praxis that is informed by these theories to promote critical peace (Bajaj, 2008, 2015). In addition, this article includes details of their practices in the art teacher education classroom as well as students' artworks and reflections. In the current unit, preservice art teachers engaged in four integrated lessons designed to explore the intersection of war and art, focusing on the Vietnam War through the frameworks of critical refugee studies and difficult knowledge.