Hispanic not a race?

I don’t know who I am anymore because according to the federal government (and some others) Latino/Hispanic is no longer a race. Many Americans are unaware of this recent nuance, but being Hispanic, I am very aware of it (especially when I fill out forms). Why is Hispanic treated differently?

I noticed within the past year that surveys I took online for a survey company started asking for race in two separate questions. The first would ask what race you were, but not include Hispanic as a choice. The second question would ask whether you considered yourself Hispanic. Why is this ONE choice separated from the others? What is the difference between African American and Hispanic that requires Hispanic have a separate choice? Why doesn’t Asian have a separate label/question associated with it?

The 2010 Census does the same thing. What does the government (and these others) hope to glean from counting Hispanics separately this way? I am a little confused at this point, so if you can explain it to me, please do.

Where/When I can, I write in Hispanic for race and also claim to be Hispanic in the separate question. When I'm unable to do that I do the best I can to figure out what "race" I am. Whose idea was this and what purpose does it serve? How am I supposed to identify myself correctly? Would Chloe be Pacific Islander and Hispanic? What a headache!