Tidbit for the Month

Ernest, an undergraduate student from Houston, TX participates in a student exchange program with the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.  On the first day of class, each of the students introduces themselves.

When it is Ernest’s turn, he begins by saying “Hi, my name is Ernest, and I am an American spending the semester here at UNAM.” When Ernest says this, he notes that several of his fellow students wincing, as though he has said something offensive. Taking offense to these reactions, Ernest has little interest in establishing collegial relations with his classmates, making his semester in Mexico potentially less pleasant than he anticipated.  Eventually, it occurs to Ernest that he has offended his classmates, but he is uncertain as to how.  When he approaches a classmate to ask what he has done wrong, the classmate offers Ernest a suggestion that Ernest has not considered. Do you know what that suggestion was?