The first Ocampenses arrived in the United States after the turn of the 20th century. Most of them only made it as far as the Texas border, but several Ocampenses have been documented as far north as Chicago and parts of the Midwest. After the start of World War II, many Ocampenses came to the United States as part of the Bracero Program. Although many returned to Mexico after their contracts expired, some stayed in the United States and settled in Texas (Dallas and Houston), California (Los Angeles), Illinois (Chicago), and other parts of the country .  The largest migration of Ocampenses to the United States occurred during the 1960s and 1970s.