He was mistaken for a valet, while a lady shopper thought she was a Target sales assistant. But while they had their share of racial discrimination stories during their pre-White House days in Chicago, U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama admit it pales in comparison to what their ancestors suffered.

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Michelle recalls that as residents of the South Side of Chicago, Barack had his share of being rejected a ride by cab drivers because of his being black. He was also once mistaken for a valet after dining in a restaurant, the first lady told People magazine which features the power couple for its new issue.

The 30-minute interview of the most powerful couple in the U.S. comes at a time there is an anti-police sentiment across the United States, precipitated by the high-profile deaths of black men such as Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York.

In the case of Michelle, when she was already a first lady and went on a trip to Target "not highly disguised," she recalled being approached by a woman who sought her help in getting an item from the shelf. The shopper didn't recognize her and mistook her for a sales assistant.

The president pointed out that "There's no black male my age, who's a professional, who hasn't come out of a restaurant, and is waiting for their car and somebody didn't hand them their car key," adding it was a personal experience as well as being asked to get coffee while he was in a tuxedo at a black-tie dinner.

Obama said it's not so much a big deal for him to be mistaken for a waiter at a gala, but "it's another thing for my son to be mistaken for a robber and to be handcuffed, or worse, if he happens to be walking down the street and is dressed the way teenagers dress."

TagsBarack Obama, Michelle Obama, racial discrimination, black