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in a series of arguments that ultim ately demo nstrate that disease narrat ives do not spring
out of nowh ere. hut are in..teed recycled from prev ious outbreaks.
Chapte r five moves the examin ing lens from the field of etiological legends to
narratives that deal with gathering places. Beginning with an hi..torica l ove rview of
narratives concern ing the negative consequences of eating in Chine ..e restaurants. the
chapter then moves to the world of SA RS. where the modem and historica l narratives are
once again found to he similar in tone and plot. These modem narratives are then
exami ned as they appeared in media sources. and a.. well. a.. they appeared in their oral
form... as related to me by my interviewees. Beginning a theme that will thread
throughou t the rema inder of the book. this chap ter then addrcs ses the racial and eth nic
fears that such narratives caused. and their consequences.
Chapter six continues the investigations into the xenophobic nature of SA RS
narratives by examining those legends and rumors that involved individuals conducting
private actions in public spaces. Many of the narrat ives that circulated during the
outbr eak had at their roots incomprehension as to the different meanings that cultures
place Oil act ions. These misunderstandings and miscommu nications led to scenarios in
which Asians were wrongly blamed for misconduct. when in fact the conduct was
co mplete ly appropriate according to Asian standards. Such blame was not j ust the
province of the public: medi a sources assisted in the spread of negative rumors by not
only publishing those rumors. but by continually printing stories that fome nted anti­
globalis t sentiments.
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