Name: Documentary photographer
Address: SE
Telephone: +46702734747

Christian Rodriguez Photography

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Few weeks ago, I was interviewed by Vietnam’s national television about my project Xiếc, a long-term story about circus artists. It brought back memories of my time in Vietnam — riding my motorbike through Hanoi with a camera and no fixed plan, just following instinct. Those early weeks became months, and the stories started to take shape. My work in Vietnam led to the publication of three books, a series of articles in magazines around the globe and my first story in NatGeo magazine. That came not from a planned campaign or a big assigment, one lens, two cards and the camera I could afford. . Sometimes you just have to go. Trust your intuition and do what you’re good at. If I had waited for the perfect conditions or the right connection I would never have taken any of these photos.

Vietnam didn’t just shape my career; it reminded me why I do this work in the first place.
#documentaryphotography #visualstorytelling #Vietnam #circuslife

A few months ago, I moved from Umeå to Stockholm. In Umeå, I was often the only non-Swedish person at social gatherings or kids events. Swedes show their rejection and discontent against immigrants in many ways, even the closest ones.

Now I live in Bromma , a neighborhood that’s much more culturally and ethnically diverse — and it’s been eye-opening in many ways.

Recently, I was invited to take part in a school activity where kids raised money for a class trip. It made me reflect on something deeper: how much it matters for young people to see themselves reflected in the world around them.

In the original Lion King movie, the villains speak with foreign accents. Studies show that children (and adults too) absorb these cues — linking difference with danger. Linguists have found we unconsciously judge people’s intelligence, trustworthiness, or even morality based on the way they speak. When children repeatedly see “bad guys” speaking differently, or looking a certain way, it shapes their worldview.

Ethnic minorities are often portrayed negatively in the media in Sweden. It’s plagued with flawed and simplistic narratives about different ethnic groups.

When you do see someone who looks like you being confident, successful, or vulnerable — it’s validating. It tells young people: your story matters too. There’s a saying I come back to often: “You can’t be what you can’t see.” If kids grow up without seeing role models who reflect their own identity, it becomes harder to imagine what’s possible. That’s true in business, in media, in politics — in every sphere of society.

Representation also reduces stereotyping. The more we are exposed to real, complex, diverse human beings — not caricatures — the more we understand, empathize, and connect. It’s about embracing individuals, not assumptions.

Tolerate an idea you don’t like or accept others different than you . Does require training, doesn’t come naturally. Over the years, I’ve learned that a diverse circle doesn’t just enrich our personal lives—it also strengthens our society.

Why is anti-immigration growing in Sweden? Less than 4% of the world’s population emigrates from their country of origin, a figure that has hardly changed in the last two centuries. In the 20th century, Europe was a source of migrants, and today it is a recipient. From a Eurocentric perspective, there is the perception that everyone wants to come to Europe. However, the large migratory movements are concentrated in other regions of the world. In America, from Venezuela to Colombia and other L. American countries. Mexico and some Central American countries are exporters migrants to the US. The countries that receive the most migration are the neighbouring countries. Those who migrate decide to stay on their continent in most cases. Swedish policy has capitalised on fear and rejection of immigrants. The Swedish Ministry of Justice reported that for the first time in more than 50 years, more people emigrate from the country than those who arrive. They went from “opening their hearts” to refugees to closing their borders. Not feeling welcome is the least of the problems for immigrants. It has become much more accepted to be openly hostile towards asylum seekers and immigrants. Expressions of hatred and rejection are increasingly common and socially accepted. Islamophobia is seen as a right to free expression. Sweden is particularly unappealing to highly educated immigrants. They probably end up in jobs as cleaners or serving coffee. Swedes often speak from a moral superiority that is supposedly given to them by their ethnic purity or educational level. They underestimate the knowledge acquired outside their borders. This can manifest in various ways, such as resistance to new ideas, intolerance, and an inclination to dismiss differing opinions. The Swedes feel intellectually and morally superior. Sweden is perhaps the most segregated country in EU. Supermarkets where you will only see white people, even though two out of 10 people are immigrants. Social activities that are exclusively for white Swedes and so on. The illusion of a more just and equal society seems, at least at this moment, to be at the opposite vertex of what it was a few decades ago.

Video by @christian_foto #Sweden has one of the longest integration periods within the European Union. An average of 10 years is what a person born outside the #europeanunion must invest to be part of Scandinavian society. Why is this happening?
Swedish society is an interesting subject of study, and the north of the country has some notable peculiarities.
The growth of feelings of hatred and rejection towards foreigners and the idea of a supposed “moral superiority” provides natives with the perfect setting to carry out one of the most violent forms of racism: #segregation

Psychological violence, economic disparity between natives and immigrants, social isolation and institutionalized violence through its main actors are some of the topics that I will be publishing in the following weeks.
Stay tuned
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Suecia cuenta con uno de los periodos más largos de integración dentro de la Unión Europea. Una media de 10 años son los que una persona nacida fuera de la Unión Europea debe invertir para ser parte de la sociedad escandinava. ¿A qué se debe esto?
La sociedad sueca es un objeto de estudio interesante, y el norte del país cuenta con algunas singularidades destacables.
El crecimiento de sentimientos de odio y rechazo hacia a los extranjeros y la idea de una supuesta “superioridad moral” brindan a los nativos el escenario perfecto para realizar una de las formas más violentas de racismo: segregación.

La violencia psicológica, la disparidad económica entre nativos e inmigrantes, el aislamiento social y la violencia institucionalizada mediante sus principales actores son algunos de los temas que estaré publicando en las siguientes semanas.

Photo by @christian_foto “Hacerse el sueco” ( “to act Swedish”) is a Spanish expression commonly used to refer to someone who acts deaf or pretends not to understand in order to avoid assuming responsibility.
Although its origin is not clear, and there is no consensus on the matter. What is clear to me, after living a few years in the Scandinavian country, is that this expression defines an important part of its idiosyncrasy. I will share some personal experience where its ideology surfaces.

“I hate Arabs” Robert tells me while watching a man pick up cans from the trash. His hatred of this group led to a situation of violence that he himself provoked. What is hilarious is that the person in charge of the cafeteria works in a company founded by Lebanese.
While I was in the supermarket with a high percentage of immigrants, Johanna told me: “I don’t feel comfortable in this place. This is not my place.” Her discomfort came from being in the same space with immigrants from African and Middle Eastern origin.

Being exposed to expressions of xenophobia and racism by white Swedes without realizing it is something that is completely normalized. In my experience working with various immigrant groups and being an immigrant myself, this has several reasons.

The representation that media, film and television have made of immigrants is almost always linked to negative stereotypes. People use these channels as a source of information to judge immigrant groups, their intelligence and education levels. These judgments also often shape the way a person or a group of people are treated. These patterns imply a correlation between evil and foreignness, internalizing negative perceptions of different ethnic groups.
*Castellano en comentario #sweden #umeå #hacerseelsueco

Photo by @christian_foto EN/ESP/SWE

This year has been particularly challenging in many ways, however I couldn't feel more grateful for every little thing I've experienced. I feel blessed by everything this 2022 gave me. The experiences lived have led me down new paths full of learning and growth.
I wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Este año ha sido particularmente desafiante en muchos aspectos, sin embargo no me podría sentir más agradecido por todo lo vivido. Me siento muy bendecido por todo lo que este 2022 me regaló . Las experiencias vividas me han llevado por nuevos caminos llenos de aprendizaje y crecimiento.
Les deseo una muy feliz navidad y un feliz año nuevo.

Det här året har varit särskilt utmanande på många sätt, men jag kunde inte känna mig mer tacksam för varje liten sak jag har upplevt. Jag känner mig välsignad av allt som 2022 gav mig. Upplevelserna har lett mig in på nya vägar fulla av lärande och tillväxt.
Jag önskar dig en god jul och ett gott nytt år. #merrychristmas #feliznavidad #godjul

Photo by @christian_foto Today is the shortest day of the year. The sunrise was 9:28 and the sunset 13:26 in Umeå, Sweden. The winter solstice falls when the Earth tilts the furthest away from the Sun on its axis. In the Northern Hemisphere this happens today December 21st at 22:47. I never pay attention before in my life to this date. This means that the days start to get longer.
The most optimistic will say that it is a countdown to summer, for me it is a very dark tunnel 😂 until May where the weather will begin to be a little friendlier.( I took this images today on my way to the gym )

Hoy es el día más corto del año. El amanecer fue a las 9:28 y el atardecer a las 13:26 en Umeå, Suecia. El solsticio de invierno cae cuando la Tierra se inclina más lejos del Sol sobre su eje. En el hemisferio norte esto sucede hoy 21 de diciembre a las 22:47. Nunca presté atención a esta fecha pero esto significa que los días comenzarán a alargarse. Los más optimistas dirán que es una cuenta regresiva para el verano, para mí es un túnel muy oscuro hasta mayo donde el tiempo empezará a ser un poco más amable. Estás fotos fueran tomadas hoy de camino al gimnasio.
#wintersolstice #umeå #norrland

Photo by @christian_foto Lucia is celebrated in Sweden on December 13. Alongside Midsummer, the Lucia celebrations represent one of the foremost cultural traditions in Sweden, with their clear reference to life in the peasant communities of old: darkness and light, cold and warmth. Lucia is an ancient mythical figure with an abiding role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters.
The Lucia celebrations also include ginger snaps and sweet, saffron-flavoured buns (lussekatter) shaped like curled-up cats and with raisin eyes. You eat them with Swedish mulled wine (glögg) or coffee.
The Lucia tradition can be traced back both to the martyr St Lucia of Syracuse (died in 304) and to the Swedish legend of Lucia as Adam’s first wife. It is said that she consorted with the Devil and that her children were invisible infernals. The name may be associated with both lux (light) and Lucifer (Satan), and its origins are difficult to determine. / El próximo 13 de diciembre se celebra Lucia en Suecia. Junto con el solsticio de verano, las celebraciones de Lucía representan una de las tradiciones culturales más importantes de Suecia, con su clara referencia a la vida en las comunidades campesinas de antaño: oscuridad y luz, frío y calor.Lucía es una antigua figura mítica con un papel permanente como portadora de luz en los oscuros inviernos suecos.
Las celebraciones de Lucía también incluyen galletas de jengibre y bollos dulces con sabor a azafrán (lussekatter) con forma de gatos enroscados y con ojos de pasas. Los comes con vino caliente sueco (glögg) o café.
La tradición de Lucía se remonta tanto a la mártir Santa Lucía de Siracusa (fallecida en 304) como a la leyenda sueca de Lucía como la primera esposa de Adán. Se dice que se asoció con el Diablo y que sus hijos eran demonios invisibles. El nombre puede estar asociado tanto con lux (luz) como con Lucifer (Satanás), y sus orígenes son difíciles de determinar.

Photo by @christian_foto A typical scene from Norrland, Sweden. Norrland is the northern region of Sweden. In December in Umeå temperatures can reach -15 C ( 5 F). At this time of year there is an average of 4 hours of daylight. The sun rises at 9-10 am and sets at 1-2 pm. / Una escena típica de Norrland, Suecia. Norrland es la región norte de Suecia. En diciembre en Umeå las temperaturas pueden llegar a -15 C (5 F). En esta época del año hay una media de 4 horas diarias de luz. El sol sale a las 9-10 am y se pone a las 1-2 pm. #umeå #norrland #winter

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