Interesting thoughts going on in here. I've had to do a great deal of thinking on this in my ethnic lit class, and I suppose that I've never really liked the term race, nor the idea that DNA has anything to do with anything. I prefer to refer to these things under the terms ethnicity, and culture, especially since I am now spending a great deal of time thinking and talking about it.
Though I wouldn't have thought I made stereotypical assumptions often, I find myself doing so more based on dress and speech than anything else. I find myself identifying with those like myself. I tend to disregard skin color, and look at the book they're reading, or the clothing that they wear, maybe even the music that they listen to, and make assumptions as to what they might be like, or what they might do in their free time.
As others have stated above, I must add that I'm not fond of affirmative action legislation. From a business standpoint, a business should hire whomever will do the job best, for a fair wage. Skin color shouldn't be an issue... do what is best for your business, you racist sonofa...
Government would be wiser to find ways to
actually improve the education system (and I don't condone throwing money at the problem), from which we will get gifted minds, no matter what they might look like on the outside.