Constructs to categorise, label and box you
For "statistical" purposes.
Another way the state imposes divides and how you should be treated accordingly by the system.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10099553/
https://www.usbirthcertificates.com/articles/race-on-birth-certificates
https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/difference-between-race-and-ethnicity