Christmas Eve morning 2009, Giovanna Mendez received the phone call no parent should ever receive. Repeated unanswered calls made from her daughter Tatiana’s cell phone and one missed call from the police department caused Giovanna to panic. When the police arrived to Giovanna’s home, she learned her only daughter hanged herself in the middle of the night.

“You would never know she had depression. She’d keep things to herself,” Giovanna explained. “She had a lot of dreams; she was a good daughter.”

Tatiana, 20, was smart, determined and focused. She was in a romantic relationship her parents found troubling. After moving out with her boyfriend, she moved home for a time but then went back to him.

Tatiana left a suicide note apologizing to her family and asking that they take care of her niece, whom she adored.

Tatiana’s death is only part of a growing national crisis: 11 percent of young Latinas ages 13-21 across nationwide admitted a suicide attempt according to a report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disparities between Latina teens attempting suicide and their peers is startling: the CDC reported in 2009 that nearly 15 percent of Latina teens surveyed had attempted suicide the year before compared to 10 percent of all high school girls.

The idea of Latina teen suicide is perplexing to many because Latino families are known for their close ties and cohesiveness, two known deterrents of teen suicide. But suicide attempts by Latina teens are increasing.

However, the number of Latinas who die by suicide is very small said Samantha Gray, epidemiologist with Cook County Department of Public Health. Gray notes there were fewer than five suicides among Latinas aged 13 to 19 since 2000 in suburban Cook County. But one in ...