I wonder where this movement started where people overly obsess about this. Can’t we already just treat people for who they are/their personality and not judge them by their skin color and also not prefer some ethnicities over others?

I’m gonna guess you’re white. There are many reasons why people make race their identity. One of them is because OTHER people make it their identity. If you’re just a normal person walking down the street, but other people only reduce you to “black person” or “asian person” or “gay person” or whatever then there’s something in our nature that takes that on and reframes it into a positive, a strength. Most of the “something person” people I know didn’t start caring about that, but other people reinforced it SOOOOOO much. Additionally, when your category is legislated at the government level, then you can’t help but assume it’s a main part of your identity. To the government and society, you ARE that person. When you need permission from the government just to exist, it is defining.