I think you misunderstood. It's lore coupled with mechanics. So, that +2 Dexterity is a defining trait of an elf. That it's mostly meaningless doesn'T matter. It means that because elves are described as graceful and whatnot, a +1 to acrobatics makes all the difference.
Of course, the fact that now you can actually have mechanics that aren't tied to stats bonuses and create actual unique mechanics for races, doesn't matter. And, of course, one must always bear in mind that we must all be forced to play the same way. A strong elf is just wrong, regardless of whose table it appears at.