美国中文学校产生之初多是由于环境的逼迫，当时的华人子女被排斥在美国公共教育体系之外，华人家长建立中文学校，通过私立教育的方式满足子女的受教育需求。但同时，中文学校产生的另一个重要原因是华人希望通过教育手段使子女传承自己民族优秀的语言和文化。现在的华裔青少年已经可以在美国公共教育体系内享受平等的教育。中文学校的职责也随之发生变化，这里不再是华裔接受教育的唯一场所，中文学校的教学对象也不再局限于华裔青少年。现在的美国中文学校除了作为华裔学生学习本民族语言和文化的主要场所之外，也是广大非华裔学生学习汉语、了解中华文化的重要途径，同时它还承担着在华人社会中传播中华文化的职责，发挥着与美国主流社会进行中西文化交流的重要桥梁作用。学校教育、华人社会、主流社会已经成为美国中文学校传播中华文化的三大途径。但是，中文学校在传播中华文化的过程中，很多方面都存在问题，如办学经费、教学大纲和考核标准、教师资格认证、课程设置等。这些问题的解决，需要中国华文教育的主管部门、国内从事华文教育研究的学者、美国中文学校以及中文学校组织等多方共同努力。　　本文以圣荷西市为例，研究美国中文学校传播中华文化的现状。全文分为四章。第一章对美国中文学校的历史进行梳理。第二章研究美国中文学校通过学校教育、华人社会、主流社会三大途径传播中华文化的现状。其中，在学校教育方面，详细考察了中文学校的学制、班级设置、课程设置、中文教材、教学活动和课外文化活动中的中华文化内容。第三章研究美国中文学校传播中华文化的过程中面临的六大问题。第四章则针对前一章总结的问题提出建议。

The beginning of the American Chinese schools was forced by environment. Chinese children are excluded from the United States public education system. Chinese parents established Chinese schools, in order to meet their children's education needs by way of private education. But at the same time, another important reason of the appearance of the Chinese School, is that the Chinese want their children to own ethnic heritage language and culture by means of education. Now, Chinese teenagers can enjoy equal education in the American public education system. Chinese school duties will change. It is no longer the only place where ethnic Chinese can be educated and the object of Chinese schools is no longer confined to the ethnic Chinese teenagers. Chinese schools in U.S. are not only the main place for Chinese students to learn the language and culture of the nation, but also an important way for the majority of non-Chinese students to study Chinese, to understand the Chinese culture, while it also bear responsibilities to disseminate Chinese culture in Chinese society. And it is an important role as a bridge of cultural exchange with the mainstream American society. School education, the Chinese community and mainstream society has become three ways to disseminate Chinese culturef for American Chinese Schools. However, in the process of spreading Chinese culture, the Chinese schools have many aspects of a problem, such as school funding, teahing general outline, assessment standards, teacher certification and curriculum. The solution of these problems needs joint efforts of the department in charge of the Chinese education, domestic scholars engaged in Chinese Education Research, American Chinese School and the Chinese school organizations.In this paper, I will take the San Jose City for example, to study the status of American Chinese schools to disseminate Chinese culture. The paper is divided into four chapters. The first chapter is the history of Chinese schools in the United States. The second chapter is the status of American Chinese School disseminating Chinese culture through three ways: school education, Chinese community and mainstream society. In the part of context of school education, the detailed study of the Chinese School's length of schooling, class settings, the content of the curriculum, Chinese teaching books, teaching activities and extra-curricular and cultural activities of the Chinese culture. The third chapter is to sthdy the six major issues facing in the process of the of American Chinese Schools to spread Chinese culture. The fourth chapter is to give suggests for the prombles the previous chapter summarized.