"Liberty and Justice" are noble ideas. Too bad women and minorities were excluded from the original plan to have either and had to fight tooth and nail for both.

I agree with working hard and sacrificing immediate gratifications are very important, but many individuals do both and can't achieve the American dream in any true sense. They are living hand to mouth, knowing the game is rigged against them and that the Horatio Alger stories of rags-to-riches success don't ring very true for many -- and also that there were a lot of criminal and exploitive activities done under the surface of the same empires we are expected to bow down to as exemplary citizens who become our leaders.

I don't think your argument must be an either or proposal. One can be proud of accomplishments in one's culture and ancestors, while also acknowledging the brutalities and shortcoming of the same. Both dualities can coexist together, and in fact, usually do.