Sarumathi "Saru" Jayaraman (born April 3, 1975) is an American attorney, author, and activist from Los Angeles, California.

In the aftermath of September 11, she co-founded the non-profit public service organization Restaurant Opportunities Centers United.

One incident from her childhood occurred when many mechanics refused to service her family's car when it broke down while they were road tripping across Utah.

[5] During her time at Yale, Jayaraman studied under MacArthur Foundation Fellowship winner, Jennifer Gordon.

Jayaraman worked in partnership with Fekkak Mamdouh, the former chief server of Windows, to represent the displaced workers.

Although it was originally established to help those affected by 9/11, the ROC evolved and became an organizing center for all immigrant restaurant workers in New York and eventually nationwide.

The organization deals with workplace justice campaigns, establishing living wages, and protecting workers rights.

In early 2020 as restaurants were shuttering during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jayaraman launched the One Fair Wage Emergency Fund, raising $22 million to grant to out of work service workers.

"[5] Jayaraman worked as a professor at various colleges in the New York area, teaching classes on a variety of topics, including political science, sociology, immigrants rights, and law.

Norris was previously the executive director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in San Francisco, but left after 20 years to pursue writing.

The book investigates the employment practices of a wide range of restaurants, from fine dining establishments to fast-food chains.

[14] Jayaraman's forthcoming book, One Fair Wage: Ending Subminimum Pay in America will be published by The New Press in the Fall of 2021 Jayaraman is a frequent guest on television programs including on PBS, CNN, MSNBC, and HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher.

[16] In 2012, the Restaurant Opportunities Center had an oversight investigation opened on it by the United States House of Representatives calling into question the group's federal funding.