This study of the Freedom Schools of San Francisco's Chinatown investigated cultural and linguistic reasons for the community's withdrawal of support of the majority political system decision to desegrregated its public elementary schools. The dissertation tested alternative hypotheses focusing on middle class academic values espoused by the Chinese, Chinese language school organization, and prejudical attitudes towards blacks, in order to test the major hypothesis of cultural maintenance as the reason for abandonment of system support. Findings revealed the following: (1) the concept of culture received different interpretations among the two major groups of Freedom School organizers; consequently it became the focal point of contention within the community, causing ultimately the demise of the movement, and (2) organizational leadership and financial backing in the movement came from the Chinese Six Companies, an association of major chinese families formed over one hundred years ago to protect the chinese in this country from hostile elements outside the community. Its influence among native born Chinese on the wane, the spokesmen for the Six Companies warned that busing would bring about the end of Chinese culture and values. The Freedom School movement, therefore, started with altruistic motives, but ended with self serving interests. (Author/JM)