> When I fill out forms to apply for jobs, they all ask my race. I have never, EVER had to tell people my race on a job application before. The fact that they all say it's so they can track their company's diversity record, or something, doesn't make me feel any happier about this.

I don't like it either, but you should know that answering this question is optional. It's illegal for a company to require an answer to that or other questions about ethnicity, religion, etc.

Tracking diversity data is a big deal in some states, and there is pressure on companies in all states to take measures to prove to governments and the public that they don't take race, age, gender, creed, religion, etc, into account when making hiring/firing decisions. Paradoxically, this means focusing more attention, not less, on race, but the reality is that this is such a hot button issue that, if someone was denied employment because of racial discrimination, the employer, not the individual, is the one at a disadvantage in the courts. The diversity data stuff is, I'm sure, kept on hand so that if someone sues them, they can defend charges of discrimination.

It's an over-correction to the problem, really, but the reality is that racial tensions are fresh enough in our history that nothing short of time will settle them down. Until then, there will be vestiges of real prejudice to deal with, plus over-corrections to both real and perceived prejudice, plus all the individuals on both sides seeking to take advantage of the tides.