boundary lines T_T, why do people make ethnicity/race a big deal? Options

[SuperGuMI]

HI HI

BEFORE I GO ON, ONE IMPORTANT THING TO SAY

I AM THE OTHER CATEGORY WHEN IT COMES TO RACE
(half af-am/ half german-cherokee)


there is one thing that i cant understand about people, and that is "boundary lines". that what i call them at least. some people feel that just because you are a certain color or race you should or should not like certain things or hang out with certain people.

i don't understand why though, i mean its 2008. all of my closest friends are chinese, at first this was like this big deal in high school. "OMG YOU HANG OUT WITH ASAINS?" OR "OH YEAH MY COUSIN HANGS OUT WITH ASAINS NOW, SE HAS NO TIME FOR US." i mean WTF!?!?! is race really that important?

i joined the chinese club at my college. on the first meeting when i walked in it was as if the room went dark and 20 spotlights were on me. so i kept getting the same questions over and over. "WHY DID YOU WANT TO JOIN?" "HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS CLUB?" and it went on and on, and the whole time i wanted to laugh at the shocked expression on their faces at my answers.

I NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY IT MATTERS SO MUCH?

AM I WEIRD FOR HAVING ASAIN FRIENDS OR FEELING COMFORTABLE AROUND THEM?

O_O