The president appeared on ABC’s morning talk show “The View”
When asked about his background, which includes a black father and white mother, Obama said of African-Americans: "We are sort of a mongrel people."
"I mean we're all kinds of mixed up," Obama said. "That's actually true of white people as well, but we just know more about it."
The president's remarks were directed at the roots of all Americans.
Obama noted "there's still a reptilian side of our brain" that leads people to not trust others "if somebody sounds different or looks different."