The message was a poignant one for the hundreds in the crowd, including a large number of Cuban American students.
"Hispanics in the United States have many reasons to feel proud and one of the reasons is to have the privileged heritage of two global cultures," he said.
Felipe drew laughter when he spoke of someone who is 'no-lingual' and treats their mother tongue like a foreign language.
"All of us, together, could make it possible for these 'no-linguals' to not feel deprived of a cultural heritage, since their situation between two languages gives them access to two infinitely rich worlds. Those of Miguel de Cervantes and of William Shakespeare," he said.