Melissa Mesones-Ortiz
For one of her first work assignments, Melissa Mesones-Ortiz was asked to interpret a Harrisburg city meeting from English to Spanish.
Interpretation takes mental focus and sharp, quick thinking, but she had done it many times before. However, she wasn’t expecting how long the meeting would take—over three hours.
“Interpretation is live, so you cannot make a mistake,” she said. “They were talking so fast, but I was trying to process and take my time. Some people don’t understand—it’s a very difficult world, translation and interpretation.”
But that was just the beginning of the countless hours that Mesones-Ortiz would dedicate to making the city more accessible to Spanish-speaking residents. As Harrisburg’s deputy director of communications, she almost single-handedly oversees communications with Latino residents who often face language and cultural barriers in engaging with and accessing local government.
Mesones-Ortiz admits that she’s a perfectionist, especially when it comes to grammar and spelling. Her family has joked about it too—her intense attention to detail. But in her line of work, one mistake could mean anything from getting measurements wrong in a zoning document to confusing the sport pickleball with a ball that doubles as a savory snack.
Her services are vital to the 20.5% of Harrisburg residents who speak a language other than English at home, according to the most recent U.S. Census data.
However, her work goes beyond just helping Spanish-speaking residents understand what they’re reading or hearing; she’s building relationships. Her efforts ultimately show them that local government is there to serve them too—that they’re not outsiders, but valuable community members.
“Little by little, every time I help them with services, they get more involved with issues in the city that they know are important,” she said.
Miss Understanding
Mesones-Ortiz can relate to many of the residents she helps because she knows what it’s like to be in a new country without English as your first language.
She first came to Harrisburg from her native country, Peru, as a study abroad student, staying at the International House, a former student exchange program downtown. She remembers some of her first weeks in the city, getting lost in the train station and being amazed by Strawberry Square. She loved that there was a “mall” within walking distance.
But it also was a difficult adjustment.
“It was my first introduction to American life,” she said. “I was in shock. I was really afraid to speak English. It was difficult at the beginning because people were not familiar with my accent, so I had to repeat things multiple times.”
After college, Mesones-Ortiz decided to live in Harrisburg, working at Penn State as a research supervisor and at the Latino Hispanic American Community Center in Allison Hill. She started her position with the city in 2021 with a goal of community service and a specific passion for helping Harrisburg’s Latino senior citizens.
“I really wanted to provide information to them,” she said. “It’s a community that sometimes they are forgotten.”
When Mesones-Ortiz started, the city was lacking in formal translation and interpretation services, which is crucial for non-English speakers, she said. Processes like getting a building permit, paying a parking ticket, or even just calling into the city with a question can be challenging for someone with language or cultural barriers.
These barriers can cause misunderstandings and fear and can even get residents into trouble if they unknowingly violate a city code or statute.
“I was one of them when I was learning English, so I know the difficulty that is not knowing a language,” Mesones-Ortiz said.
Opportunity for Community
Mesones-Ortiz’s fourth-floor office is decorated with artwork, mostly crayon drawings by her 9-year-old daughter. It’s small, but has become a welcoming place for the many Harrisburg residents she’s built relationships with over the past two years.
She believes that, if she can be an understanding, friendly face to one Spanish-speaking resident, that person will pass on word to a neighbor, and the community’s view of the city will slowly change for the better. City officials aren’t out to stick you with fines, but are trying to assist and keep you safe, she explains.
She also spends a lot of time informing residents about which services the city does and doesn’t provide, as their cultural background may be different. Outside of translating documents, she has put together informational resources for Spanish-speaking residents and hopes to eventually host topical workshops.
Mesones-Ortiz sees her work paying off as residents are more confident in engaging with the city and understanding its role better.
“They really believe that they can trust in the municipality and the city and that they’re going to find help,” she said. “It’s no more that, ‘I got a ticket, I’m in trouble.’ It’s more like, ‘they’re going to help me out.’ I don’t see any more of that fear.”
The inclusivity isn’t just beneficial for non-English speakers, Mesones-Ortiz explained, but for the entire Harrisburg community. When Latinos receive assistance tailored to their needs, they’ll be more engaged in city happenings. And isn’t a more diverse, vibrant, united city better for everyone?
“We just want opportunities to show what we can bring to the country,” Mesones-Ortiz said. “If people can get more opportunities, we can be a more connected community.”
Harrisburg’s MLK City Government Center is located at 10 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg. To contact Melissa Mesones-Ortiz, email her at mkmesones-ortiz@harrisburgpa.gov.
This article is available in Spanish on our website. Certified translation by Latino Connection.
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