If you haven’t heard enough about immigration in the United States, we thought we’d bring light to the fact that ours is not the only country that just isn’t quite sure what to do.

In Germany this weekend, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced to a gathering of young members of her conservative political party, the Christian Democratic Union, that attempts to build a multicultural society in Germany have “utterly failed.”

She went on to explain that in the 1960s, the country encouraged foreign workers to come to Germany — and “now they live in our country.”

Imagine that.

“We kidded ourselves a while. We said, ‘They won’t stay, sometime they will be gone,’ but this isn’t reality,” Merkel said.

Merkel clarified that immigrants are, in fact, welcome in Germany — but said they must do more to adapt to society, such as learning to speak German and adopting German cultural norms.

A story from the Huffington Post explained that these comments come from a rising anti-immigration sentiment in Europe, which is partially related to fears of “homegrown terrorism.”

Certainly, terrorism is a valid concern. 

However, we can assume Germany hopes to maintain the economic benefits of immigration.

“Germany needs more qualified immigration to maintain its economic advantage and deal with the demographic developments,” said Volker Beck, a lawmaker with the opposing Greens party. 

It would be wise for Germany to maintain a more encouraging attitude toward immigration if it hopes to reap any benefits from it, at all. 

To ask immigrants to make efforts to learn the language is not unreasonable.

To make such sweeping generalizations as “the multicultural approach … has failed” is not only necessary — it’s completely irresponsible.

If Chancellor Merkel needs a refresher course on how to act as a good hostess, she might pay a visit to the United States’ Statue of Liberty, where she’d learn a little something like this Emma Lazarus sonnet:

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me.”

Has multiculturalism failed in Germany? We doubt it; they probably just haven’t given it a fair chance. 

But what about in the United States?

We’re proud of the words inextricably tied with our Lady Liberty, and thankful for the many contributions — economic, cultural and otherwise — immigrants make in the United States.

We applaud the City of Ames for its “FACES of Ames” event that took place last weekend, with the goal of encouraging diversity within Ames and offering opportunities for residents to connect with each other as well as with local businesses.

We applaud Iowa State University’s department of multicultural student affairs for furthering efforts to “develop a sense of community between students, staff, and faculty of color on the Iowa State University campus.”

And for Chancellor Merkel, our message is simple: Multiculturalism must thrive, for the good of all nations and for all humanity.