For over 10 years, Cheyenne Haney has been living abroad in Japan and is on her way to permanent residency.

“I think for me, one of the biggest things that’s always been important is understanding other cultures, looking from someone else’s perspective,” Haney said.

After earning her M.A. in History from UAB in 2011 Haney now works in management and marketing for a Japanese company, runs a freelance consulting business, and writes a travel blog, Wander Japan with Me. The blog is a personal project, where she shares information to help travelers plan trips to Japan—and even insight on how to move to the Land of the Rising Sun. For interested travelers, Haney offers custom itineraries to make the most of their trip.

“The blog was born out of sheer frustration for me,” Haney said. “I was sick of seeing things [about Japan on social media] that were inaccurate. I want people to see more than just the popular Instagram sites or what they thought was cool in anime.”

In her posts, Haney shares businesses that may be of interest to travelers along with activities that are “off the beaten path,” such as historical sites, local breweries, and unique cultural experiences. Haney’s posts have landed her deals and recognition from business partners.

“This is my creative outlet,” Haney continued. “I want to be as real as possible.”

Before moving to Japan, Haney spent the majority of her life in Alabama. A Centre native, Haney was drawn to history as a child and later the tech business world.

“Growing up in a rural town in Alabama, you don’t get exposure to a lot of culture or history, but even as a child, I would love to go to museums when we traveled,” Haney explained.

She would go on to attend the University of Alabama to earn her B.A. in History after exploring several other major programs. Following graduation, Haney started her career by working in a tech company in Birmingham. Over time, she realized, “Man, I miss studying history.”

She wanted to pivot from the tech industry to instead become a professor, and UAB was the answer. Haney scheduled an appointment to speak with the then-Department of History Chair Carolyn Conley, Ph.D. to learn more about UAB’s graduate offerings, then applied right away. Once in the program, Haney immersed herself within the department and its opportunities.

“I tried to get involved in everything,” Haney said.

From right to left: Cheyenne Haney poses with mentor Associate Professor John Van Sant, Ph.D., former Department of History Chair Carolyn Conley, Ph.D., and guest.Haney strived to get to know the department faculty in hopes of becoming their colleague in the future. She connected with her classmates whenever she could and would later serve as a graduate teaching assistant under Colin Davis, Ph.D., a professor at that time in the Department of History.

“I was interested in studying Latin American history, but the more I exposed myself to other histories, I became really interested in immigration studies and Japanese history,” Haney said.

At a book release party for Dr. Davis, Haney spoke about her interests with Associate Professor John Van Sant, Ph.D .His research and teaching subjects are in East Asian countries, primarily Japan and China. He would offer Haney an opportunity.

“I was talking to Dr. Van Sant about [how I was] interested in Japanese history, but most of my mentors from [the University of] Alabama told me it was too difficult of a road for someone who didn’t speak Japanese. He took that as a chance to encourage me to go [there],” said Haney.

Van Sant organized a two-week study abroad trip to Japan for his undergraduate students and found a way for Haney, a graduate student, to attend. The group spent the weeks abroad earning a class credit as they learned about Japanese history and traveled to cities such as Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Okayama, and Nara.

“I didn’t realize how much I would fall in love with Japan,” said Haney. “It was all the history I was already studying and had studied but brought to life.”

The trip to Japan solidified Haney’s research focus.

“Van Sant introduced so many things to us, to people there, and it was a great experience,” Haney added.

Not wanting to choose between Latin American history and Japanese history, Haney managed to find a place where the cultures intersected.

“I wrote my thesis on Japanese immigration to Peru,” Haney said.

Between the 1800s leading up to the world wars, Peru experienced an influx of Japanese migrants seeking to evade increasing land taxes in Japan. Haney’s research focused on these Japanese communities within Peru, their civil rights struggles, and the importance of keeping their descendants’ histories alive.

“The biggest thing I tried to do when I wrote [my thesis] was to not approach my topic with any bias. Community building has always been something I’m interested in—telling a correct history, preserving a correct history,” Haney said.

Supporting her research were her Department of History mentors Drs. Van Sant, Colin Davis, and the late Raymond Mohl. The three taught Haney how to improve her teaching ability, writing, and research throughout her journey in the program.

“It was just a great group of people to work with,” Haney said. “[They] helped me find my voice.”

Following graduation, Haney moved to Japan in 2013 to teach English to Japanese students, before branching out to work in management and later marketing for Japanese companies.

“The experience has been great,” Haney said. Since living abroad, Haney considers herself integrated into Japanese society, making friends with natives and travelers alike through her adventures, business, and blog. And it all started at UAB.

“It's all about community, connecting with people, and sharing what's right,” said Haney. “If I can educate and help even a few people then that's even better than I dreamed.”

To learn more about UAB’s M.A. in History, click here.