"I never get used to being here ..."

Erudite Partner is off to spend a couple of months on Martha's Vineyard. That's the island in the Atlantic off Massachusetts where Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pulled his stunt, dumping Venezuelan migrants who had no idea where they'd be transported. To the Republicans' shock, the island folks knew what to do -- the state helped the migrants get work permits and sort out their immigration cases. Meanwhile, the company that DeSantis hired to fly the Venezuelans now faces human trafficking charges in the Texas county where they rounded up the confused migrants.

Contrary to common preconceptions, this affluent summer playground has a year round population of hardy working class New Englanders, many of whom are recent immigrants. The Martha's Vineyard Times has put out a series of interviews with immigrant Island residents. These conversations are great fun - learn how newcomers deal with new foods and, above all, the long, cold, gray winter.