Is it rational for people to be proud of things they had no control over (e.g., their ancestry)?

There us a wonderful routine by the great George Carlin on pride - hopefully, in his inimitable way, he will answer your question and show you how flimsy it is :)

"I saw a slogan on a guys car that said "Proud to be an American"

and I thought "What the fuck does that mean?"

I'm fully Irish, and when I was a kid I would go to the St Patrick's Day parade and they sold a button that said

"Proud to be Irish",

but I knew that on Columbus day they sold the same button only it said

"Proud to be Italian",

then came Black Pride, and Puerto Rican Pride.

And I could never understand national or ethnic pride, because to me Pride should be reserved for something you achieve on your own.

Being Irish isn't a skill, it's a fucking genetic accident.

You wouldn't be proud to be 5'11".

You wouldn't be proud to have a pre-disposition for colon cancer."