It's the 1920s. A German tourist while walking around in New York city's Chinatown, notices a restaurant named ""Hans Baumhauer's authentic chop suey""... He gets curious, and wants to find out more about this German man who has set up a restaurant in the heart of china town. He asks a very old Chinese man squatting in front of the restaurant, ""Do you know this Hans Baumhauer who owns this restaurant?"" ""Yes"", says the old man, ""I am Hans Baumhauer."" ""Really?!"" Says the German with surprise, ""How did you get such a strange name for a Chinese person?"" ""50 years ago"", begins the old man, with the air of a person who has oft told this tale, ""I was standing in the immigration line at Ellis Island having just gotten off the boat from Hong Kong. The immigration officer was coming down the line asking us our names and handing us our paperwork. He reached the guy in front of me in the line and asked him his name. 'Hans Baumhauer' the guy said. The officer handed him his papers. Then he turned to me and asked my name. 'Sem Ting' I said.