Wolf/notpashut,
The label itself connotes a rejectionist attitude.
You asked “If someone says I’m a white american jewish new yorker flatbush guy black hatter yeshivishe litvak, did he label me or did he just say who I am?” And each of those attributes excludes — i.e. implicitly, in a subtle sense, excludes — others “not like” you. Saying you are “Jewish” is a good exclusionary attribute, the others are not.
Labels like Orthodox, Chiloni, religious, modern orthodox, etc. are divisive and destructive to Jewish unity. A Jew may keep the Torah, may keep most of the Torah, may keep part of the Torah, etc. but they all are still Jews — and only Jews. Perhaps a Jew in need of improvement, but a Jew (and only a Jew) nonetheless.