The German Chinese Drycleaner

Walking through San Francisco's Chinatown, a British tourist was enjoying the artistry of all the Chinese restaurants, shops, signs and banners when he turned a corner and saw a building with the sign "Hans Schmidt's Laundry." "Hans Schmidt?" he wondered. "How does that belong in Chinatown?"

He walked into the shop and saw a fairly standard looking drycleaner, although he could see that the proprietors were clearly aware of the uniqueness of the store name as there were baseball hats, T-shirts and coffee mugs emblazoned with the logo "Hans Schmidt's Chinese Laundry." The tourist selected a coffee cup as a conversation piece to take back to his office in London. Behind the counter was a smiling old Chinese gentleman who thanked him for his purchase. The tourist asked, "Can you explain how this place got a name like 'Hans Schmidt's Laundry?'

The old man answered, "Ah...Evleebody ask me that. It name of owner."

Looking around, the tourist asked, "Is he here?"

"It me," replies the old man.

"Really? You're Chinese. How did you ever get a name like Hans Schmidt?"

"Is simple", said the old man. “Many, many year ago I come to this country. I standing in line at 'Documentation Center of Immigration.' Man in front of me was a German. Lady at counter look at him and say, "What your name?"

He say, "Hans Schmidt."

Then she look at me and say, "What your name?"

I say, "Sam Ting."