You should start with your parents. Ask where, when they were born, any interesting stories they can remember growing up as kids. Next ask the same questions to their brothers/sisters your aunts/uncles. If your grandparents are still alive, same questions. Census records are only published after 70 years so right now only 1930 is visible. Next year they will release 1940 and so on.
My Brunette family went from Quebec to upper Michigan in 1843. Most stayed there or upper Minesaota. Some went to the Detroit area, where I'm from. The military took me to Washington State where I now live. I don't have any Brunette's gone to California but Brunet/Brunett/Brunette were very common french names in Quecec and France. It's will take a little while but eventully everything will fall into place. Get organized and start asking your questions. Once you get the genealogy bug, yu'll never put it down because it's never finished. Good luck. Steve Brunette